


Let's save Christmas!

by Cirelli



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Advent Calendar, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, And I couldn't stop writing about them because I love them, Christmas, Christmas turns into a disaster, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, I would have expanded on all those relationships if I'd had two more weeks on my hands, Letters, M/M, Minor Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon, Minor Boo Seungkwan/Lee Chan | Dino, Minor Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Lee Chan | Dino, Minor Jeon Wonwoo/Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Secret Admirer, Secret Identity, Secret Santa, Seungkwan and Chan can't stop bickering bc I love them, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, Texting, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, lots of fluff, soonhoon are besties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cirelli/pseuds/Cirelli
Summary: “Christmas sucks.”Soonyoung raises his head from his laptop screen with an offended look. Jihoon merely shrugs, standing by his statement. He pulls his blanket up to his chin and basks in the comfortable warmth, ignoring his roommate’s stare.“How scandalous! I’m sorry, Hoonie, I can’t let you say that. Christmas is the best.”“You’re as single as I am , what are you even going to do on Christmas Day? Eat chocolate until you explode?” the youngest retorts with a snort.“You know what? I’m gonna prove to you that Christmas is awesome! Just you wait!”orWhen Soonyoung and Jeonghan organize a Secret Santa with all of their (terribly single) friends, Jihoon starts receiving anonymous letters and presents every day. There is also this impossibly handsome sophomore he seems to keep bumping into, that he definitely doesn't have a crush on, to deal with. Jihoon thought he could have a peaceful December, but the universe has other plans for him.
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 85





	Let's save Christmas!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thanku4urlove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thanku4urlove/gifts).



> Me, on December 19th: "Hey, what if I wrote a short one-shot for my friend as a Christmas present?"  
> Me, on December 24th, 22k words later: "..............What have I done?"
> 
> So, yes, this kind of got out of hand. Hopefully this giant garble of words is good?  
> I am definitely not used to writing that much in such a short amount of time OTL
> 
>  **To Anna:** I am incredibly happy I met you in 2020 so I wanted to give you a little something 💖 I love you, thank u 4 being my friend 🥰💞
> 
>  **To anyone else who might read this:** I hope you will enjoy this silly story of mine!! Thank you for stopping by 😊
> 
> (Note: In South Korea, Christmas is more of a romantic holiday than a family one, which is what I went with in this story! Otherwise my plot would have fallen apart lmao)

💖 Merry Christmas Anna 💖

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Thursday, November 26_ _th_

  
  
  


“Christmas sucks.”

Soonyoung raises his head from his laptop screen with an offended look. Jihoon merely shrugs, standing by his statement. He pulls his blanket up to his chin and basks in the comfortable warmth, ignoring his roommate’s stare.

“How scandalous! I’m sorry, Hoonie, I can’t let you say that. Christmas is the best.”

“You’re as single as I am, what are you even going to do on Christmas Day? Eat chocolate until you explode?” the youngest retorts with a snort.

“First of all, screw you,” the blond huffs indignantly as he puts his laptop aside. “Second of all, chocolate is amazing and there’s no reason to slander me for enjoying simple pleasures in life!”

Jihoon rolls his eyes at the ceiling. He’s pretty sure there are at least twenty boxes of chocolate in their pantry – all bought by Soonyoung as soon as stores started selling them – and he’s also pretty sure that they won’t last till the end of the week.

“That’s a nice euphemism,” the brunet scoffs.

“Third, it’s very petty of you to point out how I won’t get smooches on Christmas Day!” Soonyoung tries to poke him in the ribs, but the thick layer of blanket protects him. “What’s got you in such an awful mood, seriously! Last year you weren’t so grumpy until at least December 15th.”

“I am the definition of a grouch, why are you even surprised,” he deadpans, crossing his arms inside his blanket burrito.

“You know what? I’m gonna prove to you that Christmas is awesome! Just you wait!”

Soonyoung’s eyes sparkle like he’s been offered a giant chocolate cake – his sweet tooth will kill him someday – which certainly worries Jihoon. What sort of stupid idea has his best friend got this time? He doesn’t want to ask. If he doesn’t bring it up again, maybe it will just go away, and he will be able to enjoy a peaceful December…

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Friday, November 27_ _th_

  
  
  


**[“XMAS RULES!!!”: 13 members]**

_Soonyoung has added you to the group, along with 11 other people._

(09:23) **Soonyoung:** Hey losers!!!

Jihoon blinks in disbelief at his screen. He should have known Soonyoung’s brain wouldn’t simply choose to forget about that obscure idea of his. He wouldn’t be surprised if the blond had mulled over it all night long.

His lecture has been quite boring so far – History of Music can be interesting at times, but he’d much rather be working on his own compositions right now – so the brunet unlocks his phone.

(09:25) **Jihoon:** Soon what the fuck.

He opens the members list and looks at the other people in the group chat. He recognizes some of the names he sees – Jun, Minghao, and Chan are part of his best friend’s dance crew, Wonwoo is their quiet friend with a massive crush on Soonyoung, Seokmin is that sophomore with a voice of pure gold – but the others don’t really ring a bell. Being half a goblin, half a hermit, Jihoon isn’t very familiar with upper and underclassmen.

(09:27) **Jeonghan:** Oh? Already setting our plan in motion, Soonie? ~

(09:28) **Soonyoung:** 🤩🤩

The brunet scrunches his nose, annoyed at his best friend’s utter passion for leaving him in the dark about everything. Before he can type a protest about Soonyoung taking forever to explain himself, the latter sends another message.

(09:31) **Soonyoung:** You have all been summoned to A227 at 8 o’clock tonight! Be there or else 🗡

(09:32) **Jihoon:** Whose dorm are you invading this time

(09:32) **Chan:** Hyung, what’s this about???

Complaints start flooding in from everyone who has been silently reading the convo until now. It’s a Friday night, and nobody wants to trek out in the cold evening without a very good reason.

(09:37) **Jeonghan:** Pizzas will be provided~ 🍕🍕🍕🥰

Jihoon scoffs indignantly. Does this senior think pizza is enough to stop him from heading straight home and burying himself under blankets with his laptop and hot coffee?

(Yes, it is. Who would say no to free food?)

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


Thankfully, A227 isn’t too far from his own place, so Jihoon gets there soon enough. He couldn’t bother keeping his nice daily clothes on after a whole day of sitting in a cold lecture hall, so he’s wearing his comfiest sweatpants and sweatshirt.

When he rings the doorbell, a senior with fluffy black hair and a warm, gummy smile opens the door and welcomes him in. 

“Hey! Jihoon, right?” Jihoon extends his hand to shake the oldest’s. “I’m Seungcheol.”

“Sorry you had to give up your dorm for the greater good tonight,” Jihoon apologizes on his best friend’s behalf.

The senior smiles sheepishly, before another voice calls for his attention. A second upperclassman with a stupidly pretty face sticks his head in the doorway and gestures at Seungcheol. Why is everyone so absurdly handsome around here?

“Cheollie! The pizza guy’s here, can you go downstairs to pick them up?”

“Sure, Hannie!” (Or did he say Honey…? Jihoon can’t tell for sure.) Then, as Seungcheol turns back to Jihoon: “Be right back. Make yourself at home!”

Sitting idly on the couch and cradling a hot mug of tea, a third senior sighs loudly once the door closes and Seungcheol is out of sight.

“You sure like to order him around, Jeonghan.” 

“Can you blame me, Shua? He’s too cute for his own good.”

They sure sound like they’re talking about a pet rather than an actual human being. The two finally seem to notice Jihoon, who’s been quietly watching the whole exchange.

“Hey, Jihoon!” the one named Jeonghan greets him. “Soonie’s in the bedroom preparing everything for tonight.”

“Preparing… what exactly?” he squints suspiciously.

“Oh, you’ll see,” the senior eludes, waving his hand in a noncommittal gesture.

Jihoon is meeting Jeonghan for the first time, but he doesn’t think he should trust that mischievous smile of his. If he and Soonyoung are working together on this, who knows what they’re even up to?

  
  
  


Slowly but surely, people start flooding in the small dorm, until twelve of them are gathered around the tiny coffee table and devouring the pizzas provided. To Jihoon’s great dismay, Soonyoung has refused to reveal anything about his seemingly wonderful plan, so the brunet has no other choice but to wait patiently for the big reveal.

“Okay, so the only one missing should be arriving…” Jeonghan starts, eyeing his phone, only to be interrupted by a loud noise.

“SORRY I’M LATE!!” someone yells from the front door as he stumbles inside.

“…Right about now. Hey Mingyu, we were waiting for you.”

“Sorry about that—”

When the latecomer comes into view, Jihoon chokes on his own breath. If everyone around him was already insanely good-looking, nobody compares to the guy who’s stepping into the room right now.

“Hey everyone,” the tall brunet greets them, his cheeks slightly pink on his golden skin from the cold air.

The stranger takes off his long, woolen coat, only to reveal a beige turtleneck tightly hugging his broad shoulders, and black pants showcasing his impossibly long legs. Jihoon looks down at his own ratty sweatpants and stained sweatshirt, and he dies a little bit inside, his cheeks turning to a violent shade of red. Couldn’t Soonyoung have warned him ahead of time that all the campus hotties had been invited to this stupid thing??

“Here, you can go sit next to Jihoon,” Soonyoung tells Mingyu as he points straight to him.

Jihoon has never wanted to murder his best friend more than now – not even when the blond almost burned down their dorm by setting their oven on fire in the middle of the night. He shuffles to the side, trying to leave a little more room for said Mingyu to sit, but the dorm is so cramped already that they remain painfully close. 

“Hey,” Mingyu greets him with a wide smile as he plops down next to him, to which Jihoon only responds with a nod before turning his face to the other side. 

As the tall brunet sits down, Jihoon gets a whiff of his perfume and his head starts spinning. Of course Mingyu would smell incredibly nice, too. He’ll be glad if he doesn’t combust before the end of the night. Jihoon shifts uncomfortably, hyperaware of their knees touching from the lack of space.

Jihoon shoots a furtive glance at Mingyu, who’s laughing at something Seokmin tells him. Is he a friend of Soonyoung’s? If so, then how come he’s never seen him before? Mingyu seems to notice him staring because he flashes a smile at him. Jihoon frowns in embarrassment and turns away.

“Okay, now that everyone’s here, we might as well get down to it and explain everything,” Jeonghan starts, clapping his hands as he calls for attention.

Soonyoung, who has remained relatively quiet so far, gets up and raises his hands in the air before yelling:

“We’re all hopelessly single!!!”

Jihoon hides his face in his palms and sighs profoundly, wondering why he ever befriended this baboon. Maybe Soonyoung’s concerning absence of subtlety is part of his charm, somehow.

Around him, some people laugh awkwardly, some remain quiet – presumably blushing like there’s no tomorrow – while others protest loudly – “Hey, how dare you!!” the freshmen named Seungkwan and Chan shout together indignantly.

“That means nobody here has plans for Christmas!” Soonyoung continues, pointedly ignoring them. “Which is why we should all celebrate Christmas together!!”

“Maybe I secretly have a hot date or two I was going to take on a romantic adventure,” Seungkwan protests, crossing his arms on his chest with a huff.

“No you don’t, hyung,” Chan side-eyes him, shaking his head in disbelief. “Otherwise you would’ve stopped complaining about how we suck at hugs and how you need a replacement asap.”

“You––”

While the two resume their bickering act, Vernon unconcernedly munching on his pizza between them, Minghao – unabashedly sitting in Jun’s lap and mindlessly playing with the latter’s fingers – questions:

“It’s still November, hyung, why did you gather us so soon?”

“And why exactly did you need to invite everyone over to our dorm tonight? Couldn’t we have discussed everything in the group chat?” Joshua groans, still lying on the couch. “Not that I don’t love having you over, Kwon Fire,” he adds, ignoring Jeonghan’s pout on purpose.

Seungcheol is evidently not the only victim of Soonyoung and Jeonghan’s plan, but the oldest seems more willing than the other. It doesn’t look like Joshua was asked for his opinion before getting dragged into this.

“That’s because we need to set up something first,” Jeonghan replies with a sly smile. “Soonie, can you bring the hat?”

Jihoon squints at Soonyoung who hops merrily to one bedroom and comes back holding a large wizard’s hat, cradling it like it’s the most precious thing in the world. _What the hell_ is happening right now?

“We’re gonna do a Secret Santa!!” the blond announces excitedly to the room.

All eleven of them remain stunned for a second. At the lack of reaction from everyone, Soonyoung starts pouting as his cheeks slightly turn pink.

“You know, the thing where everyone picks a name and gifts something to the person they’ve picked…”

“Yes, hyung, we know what Secret Santas are!” Seungkwan scoffs. “You do know there are websites to pick the names _without_ actually having to meet in person, right?”

Soonyoung being absurdly computer-illiterate, Jihoon wouldn’t bet on it.

“Sure, but the old-fashioned way is much more fun, Kwannie,” Jeonghan interrupts as he pats Soonyoung’s hair. “No more complaints now! Everyone, come pick a name!”

As Soonyoung calls his name, Jihoon sighs and gets to his feet. Jeonghan is holding the hat, mixing the little papers tucked inside, and watches him with a sly smile while Soonyoung does his best to look innocent. He doesn’t know what those two have done, but they’re up to something.

The brunet plunges his hand in the hat and grabs a random piece of paper. He steps away from everyone to unfold it, so nobody can read above his shoulder.

  
  


“You can’t tell anyone else who you’ve picked, and you certainly can’t exchange recipients either!” Soonyoung tells them preemptively.

“Don’t even think about it, I _will_ know if you try anything,” Jeonghan warns.

Jihoon shrugs. He knows Jun well enough, and he’s confident he can find a nice present for him, so he’s happy with his pick. Plus, he really doesn’t want to know what Jeonghan would do to anyone who tried to switch. His biggest problem will probably be dealing with Soonyoung’s insatiable curiosity.

One by one, as everyone’s name gets called out, all eleven of them grab a piece of paper and hide in a corner to open it far away from prying eyes – Soonyoung and Jeonghan go last, grabbing the remaining names. 

Seungkwan scoffs at the name he picked, blushing a little, before shoving it in his pocket. Whoever it is that he picked, he looks like he’s been personally offended by that name.

On the contrary, Wonwoo’s face turns to a violent red when he silently opens his own piece of paper. Jihoon smirks; he wouldn’t be surprised if Wonwoo’s recipient turned out to be Soonyoung. He’s known about his crush on his best friend for a while, but Soonyoung sadly remains dramatically oblivious.

Jihoon wonders how many people here harbor secret crushes on one another.

The brunet gazes discreetly at Mingyu, who is smiling affectionately at the name he picked. Jihoon can’t help but feel a little bit jealous. The sophomore seems particularly fond of his recipient.

Their eyes meet briefly when the youngest glances at Jihoon, and the latter looks away immediately.

Whoever it is that Mingyu picked, he’s very lucky.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Tuesday, December 1_ _st_

  
  
  


“We’re going to be late, Soon!” Jihoon shouts from the living room.

“I’m coming!” he hears from the bathroom as Soonyoung gets ready.

Jihoon sighs, mildly annoyed at his best friend’s poor time-management skills. He’s had to deal with those for a good ten years, and the blond hasn’t ever got slightly better at it. If anything, Soonyoung is even worse than usual this morning.

“I’m gonna leave without you, someday, I swear to God!”

“Don’t you dare!” the muffled voice responds indignantly.

“If you’re not here in ten seconds…!”

Jihoon puts on his shoes and grabs his bag, heading for the door. The door to the bathroom finally opens, as Soonyoung runs to his bedroom to grab his things. He doesn’t know why he even bothers to wait for his best friend, they don’t even attend the same classes as they have different majors. They’re just used to walking to school together by now.

“One of these days, I won’t wake you up and you’ll––”

Jihoon would have kept complaining some more, now that Soonyoung is finally dressed and ready to go, but he forgets about it all when he notices the bright envelope taped to their door, a single flower sticking out from it. “ _To: Lee Jihoon~_ ” is written on it in neat, regular letters.

“What the hell is that,” he mutters reflexively, unsticking the letter from the door.

“What are you talking about?”

As Soonyoung looks curiously above his shoulder, Jihoon opens the envelope and extracts a simple note from it.

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_Christmas Day is in a long time, but I thought I would get a head start so we can have some more fun. Please expect to hear from me again very soon!_

_I hope you will have a very nice day today~_

_Sincerely,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  
  


Jihoon can feel his cheeks burn a little, while Soonyoung whistles with fascination. The brunet steps out into the hallway to look around, but there isn’t anyone in sight.

“That’s absolutely adorable and I’m _very_ jealous that this was destined to a grouch who won’t even appreciate its true value,” he hears Soonyoung say in his back.

“I hate you. It’s you and your stupid ideas’ fault––”

“Are you telling me you’re not happy to receive a nice note and a flower?” Soonyoung interrupts with a pointed look.

“Shut up.”

Jihoon considers the single flower he’s now holding in his hand, all white except for its tiny yellow stamens. It’s a paperwhite narcissus. They’re both terribly late for class now, so another minute or two won’t really matter that much.

“Wait a second,” he tells his best friend, before he steps back inside to grab a glass and fill it with some water for the flower.

  
  
  


_(Narcissus: symbolizes new beginnings.)_

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Thursday, December 3_ _rd_

  
  
  


“Hi, Jihoon hyung!” he hears a familiar voice calling out to him.

The brunet turns his head to the left as he steps out into the hallway – he’s finally done with his morning lectures – and notices Mingyu standing on the side, looking as dashing as the first time they met. 

“Oh. Hi. Mingyu, right…?” he replies, though he remembers the other’s name all too well since their first meeting.

The sophomore towers over the crowd – how tall can that boy possibly be? – and Jihoon has to lift his head to get a good look at him. He feels incredibly small and vulnerable, next to Mingyu.

“What are you doing here?” Jihoon continues.

He wouldn’t have expected to find Mingyu in the Arts building; the sophomore looks more like a business student.

“Just waiting for Seokmin to come out,” the other replies with a smile. “We usually eat together with Minghao every Thursday as our schedules match.”

Jihoon hums in acknowledgement, and the conversation lulls uncomfortably.

“You’re friends with Soonyoung, right?” the brunet asks, his eyes looking at the floor rather than up. “How did you two meet?”

“Oh, it was easy enough! I visited Minghao at the dance studio once, so I got to meet the whole crew, including Soonyoung hyung,” Mingyu explains with a bright smile.

“I see.”

Jihoon wants to dig a hole into the ground and disappear. What’s up with him and his inability to talk to anyone he finds even slightly attractive? He needs to get away from there, before Mingyu writes him off as weird and standoffish and never wants to speak to him again.

“Well, I’ve got to go now.”

“It was nice meeting you, hyung!”

“You too, Mingyu.”

Jihoon walks away in the other direction, resisting the urge to turn back and take another look at the sophomore. He really wonders how they have never crossed paths before that whole Secret Santa meeting, when now Jihoon keeps noticing him here and there across campus – though he has never dared walk up to him the way Mingyu just did right now.

He doesn’t know much about the sophomore yet – aside from the fact his name is Mingyu, he’s twenty-one, and he has the most dazzling smile Jihoon has ever seen – but he can’t say he isn’t curious to learn more.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Friday, December 4_ _th_

  
  
  


Every day, Jihoon receives another small gift from his Secret Santa. At first, he mostly got flowers and notes with kind encouragements for his day – God knows he needs those, as his teachers seem to love piling assignments on him at the moment. Today, he receives a tiny sack of chocolates. 

What both melts his heart and makes him suspicious is that they are not made with milk chocolate, like the ones Soonyoung adores more than is reasonable. They’re dark chocolate, just the way Jihoon loves them.

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_I hope you have been enjoying my humble offerings so far! I still have a lot of ideas up my sleeve~_

_Midterms are right around the corner so I wish you the best with those :)_

_Sincerely,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  
  


He’s tried to catch his benefactor in the act, standing right by their front door until he hears any suspicious noise. But it’s no use: the letters always seem to appear when Jihoon isn’t looking.

The more he thinks about it, the less of a clue he has about this whole thing. At first, he suspected Soonyoung, who’s the only person close enough to him to bother with such an elaborate plan. However, his best friend’s handwriting is closer to chicken scratches than to his Secret Santa’s neat handwriting.

Plus, Soonyoung’s constant whining about how he, too, wants to get cute gifts every day is enough to write him off the list of suspects.

Among the thirteen of them, the only other people he’s remotely friends with are Jun, Wonwoo, and Seokmin. But he knows that Wonwoo drew Soonyoung’s name, and Jun’s too stupidly in love with Minghao to even pay attention to anyone else.

Could it be Seokmin…? That sort of sweet things might be his style.

Jihoon can’t even consider the others as suspects because he didn’t even know them before last Friday. And who would spend so much time and effort coming up with spontaneous gifts for someone they don’t know, aside from literal angels?

  
  
  


His phone lights up with several notifications, snapping him out of his daydream. He had gone to the library, hoping to get a head start on some essays, but there’s only so much he got done before this small investigation of his distracted him.

It looks like Soonyoung is back at it on the group chat. Jihoon sighs, grabs another tiny chocolate to munch on and unlocks his phone to see what all the fuss is about.

**[“XMAS RULES!!! No cheating on the Secret Santa** **😡😡** **”: 13 members]**

(18:23) **Soonyoung:** We haven’t even decided what we’ll do on Christmas Day!! 😱😱

(18:24) **Soonyoung:** Where will we go?? What will we eat??

(18:24) **Soonyoung:** The pizzas distracted me last time… 😔😔

Jihoon snorts, absolutely not surprised that his best friend’s stomach got the best of him.

(18:25) **Jeonghan:** Depends on what you want to eat, Soonie~

(18:25) **Soonyoung:** I don’t know??? There are too many options 🥺🥺

(18:26) **Joshua:** All this talk about Christmas food, you’re making me crave ham

(18:26) **Soonyoung:**!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uh oh. Soonyoung’s hurricane – a.k.a his never-ending, stupidly intense enthusiasm – has joined the chat.

(18:27) **Soonyoung:** Let’s have a Western-style Christmas then!!! 🤩🤩

(18:27) **Soonyoung:** We can have Christmas ham!!

(18:27) **Soonyoung:** And!! 

(18:27) **Soonyoung:** And!!

(18:27) **Soonyoung:** And??

(18:27) **Soonyoung:** Uh

(18:27) **Soonyoung:** What else do you normally eat on Christmas Day, Shua-hyung?

(18:28) **Joshua:** Roasted vegetables? Potatoes? Seafood?

(18:28) **Soonyoung:** All that then!!!! 🤩

(18:29) **Vernon:** Oh wow

(18:29) **Chan:** Someone stop him before he explodes

(18:30) **Joshua:** And the usual Christmas cake

(18:31) **Soonyoung:** OH MY GOD WE’RE GONNA HAVE CAKE 😍😵 🤩 🤪 🤤 😭

(18:32) **Jihoon:** @Jun please take his phone away from him

(18:33) **Jun:** Okaying~

(18:35) **Chan:** Thank God, some peace and quiet

(18:36) **Seungkwan:** Like you’re any better usually

(18:37) **Chan:** But you know you love it~

(18:38) **Seungkwan:** Certainly not 😤

(18:38) **Minghao:** Please go flirt somewhere else

(18:39) **Seungkwan:** WE’RE NOT

(18:39) **Vernon:** **👋** **👋**

Do those two ever stop bickering? Every time Jihoon sees them, Seungkwan and Chan always seem to argue like a married couple, while Vernon quietly enjoys the chaos. Their dynamic is… interesting, to say the least. There’s no doubt the three of them are extremely close, though; it’s obvious in the way they look at each other.

Soonyoung seems like he managed to get his phone back – you had one job, Jun! – because he is back in the convo.

(18:44) **Soonyoung:** We’ve got the menu down, but what about the place??

(18:46) **Jeonghan:** It’s okay, Soonie, we can always go back to Cheol and Shua’s~~~

(18:48) **Joshua:** Says who??????

(18:49) **Jeonghan:** I never thought you would be cruel enough to throw us out, Shua 😔

(18:50) **Joshua:** ………………………… I hate you.

(18:51) **Jeonghan:** No you don’t ❤️

(18:52) **Seungcheol:** It’s okay, everyone’s welcome in A227 anytime 🙌

Jihoon doesn’t know what’s up with those hyungs, but it looks like Jeonghan has got them both wrapped around his finger. There’s no doubt that this man is dangerously persuasive.

(18:54) **Soonyoung:** Or everyone can come to our place!!! There’s more room here 🤩

(18:55) **Jihoon:** I did NOT agree to this????

(18:56) **Soonyoung:** Jihoonie **🥺🥺🥺**

He hates his best friend, just as much as he hates himself for giving in so easily to his puppy eyes. How do they still work on him, after ten years of friendship? He should be stronger than that.

(18:58) **Jihoon:** ALRIGHT

(18:58) **Jihoon:** But I’m not cleaning up any of it, you’re on your own, Soon

(18:59) **Soonyoung:** **😍😍😍🥳**

(18:59) **Soonyoung:** Then we need a Christmas tree for the full ambiance 🤩🤩

He thinks he might as well throw his phone out the window.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Saturday, December 5_ _th_

  
  
  


“Hey Hoon, give me that sauce!”

“There is no way I am letting you eat that, you’re gonna start spitting fire.”

“But I am Kwon Fire!!”

“Then I’m not giving you any more meat!”

“You’re no fun at all.”

Jihoon slaps Soonyoung’s thigh in retaliation before placing the hot sauce on the other side of the table – at least Jun will be able to enjoy it without complaining for hours afterwards. Wonwoo smiles fondly at Soonyoung as the latter crosses his arms, pouting like a child.

All the lunches he spends with the 96 squad somehow end in chaos, every time they go to the restaurant. Today, the other three wanted to eat at a barbecue place, which means Jihoon is in charge of grilling meat – as he is the youngest of the four – on top of dealing with Soonyoung.

“I’m looking out for you, idiot!”

If he didn’t love Soonyoung a great deal, he would have simply let him drench his meat with that sauce – it has to be a good five hundred thousand Scoville units – just for science. But he isn’t (that) mean.

“Oh, seems like the 97 kids are in the neighborhood,” Jun comments as he munches on a piece of beef, swiping through Instagram stories. “I wonder if they’ve eaten yet.”

“Probably not,” Wonwoo replies as he looks over his shoulder. “You could call them here.”

“Okay then!”

  
  
  


Ten minutes later, the four of them have to sit a lot closer so they can make room for the three new faces that have stepped inside the restaurant. It’s a bit cramped but they make it work. Jihoon doesn’t know if his face is burning because of the hot sauce, or because of the real-life Apollo that has taken a seat next to him. Mingyu shoots him a smile, and Jihoon looks away shyly.

“Thanks for the invitation, hyung,” Seokmin smiles brightly as he takes over the meat-grilling duties, even though Minghao is technically the youngest here.

“Of course, of course!” Soonyoung beams, patting the sophomore on the shoulder then prodding his bicep. “I missed my sexy meat-grilling man!”

Seokmin laughs shyly as Soonyoung keeps hyping him up, and Jihoon sighs at their antics.

“What were you all up to?” Wonwoo asks the other two curiously, though his eyes keep flickering in Soonyoung’s direction.

“Mingyu wanted to take some pictures in a new spot he’s found, and we tagged along,” Minghao explains as he hands his plate to Seokmin.

“Oh, that’s cool! Can you show me? I haven’t seen your stuff in a while.”

Jihoon’s curious eyes shift to Mingyu as the latter takes out a large camera out of his bag. He expected Instagram-style pictures taken with a phone, but that’s no amateur equipment he’s got there. Jihoon raises his eyebrows as he looks at the sophomore, deeply impressed.

Mingyu first hands his camera to Wonwoo – he was the first to ask after all – but he seems to have noticed Jihoon’s interest because he then turns to Jihoon to show him his shots. Jihoon stiffens, trying to focus on what he’s looking at instead of Mingyu’s cologne.

“You’re… really skilled,” he mutters as the other scrolls through his photos, explaining a few technical aspects or mentioning random tidbits of information. “They’re amazing.”

“You really think so, hyung?” Mingyu’s face lights up at the compliment.

Jihoon nods, and it’s like he’s given the other boy the best compliment in the world. The brunet blushes slightly as he turns away to look at Soonyoung – who is now taking pictures of Seokmin grilling meat for everyone. 

Mingyu is cute.

“You should see the pictures he’s taken at our dance showcases,” Jun mentions as he gulps down a mouthful of rice. “I didn’t even recognize myself on those, he made us look so cool!”

“That’s because you _are_ cool, hyung,” Minghao interjects, squeezing the other’s shoulder affectionately.

“Ah, well,” Mingyu laughs awkwardly. “I think photographing people on stage is what I love the most.”

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Sunday, December 6_ _th_

  
  
  


Jihoon sips quietly on his herbal tea, deep in thought. Today’s letter from his Secret Santa contained a few of those chamomile teabags, so the brunet decided to try it out. He feels relaxed, his head void of any bad thoughts.

“Who are you…?” he wonders aloud before taking another sip.

Jihoon cannot believe one second that someone is out there, diligently preparing eighteen more letters and presents, solely for him, Lee Jihoon, a mere nobody. That can’t be right, he won’t believe it. The thought that somebody is somehow trying to make fun of him even crossed his mind at some point, but he can’t picture any of the other twelve guys being mean enough for that.

None of it makes sense.

However, Jihoon can’t say he hates it either. As shy as that whole situation makes him, he feels doted on. Whoever that person is, his Secret Santa makes him feel special. He could almost laugh. His Decembers usually tend to be so somber, but this year the universe has taken pity on him.

He should probably do something in return. Jihoon bites his lower lip as he ponders. He’s not happy about how one-sided that relationship has been. How early does his Secret Santa even get up, just to stick a letter and present on his front door!?

Jihoon gets up from his bed and grabs a piece of paper from his desk. He uncaps a pen and, before he can overthink it, he starts writing.

  
  
  


_Dear Secret Santa,_

_I can’t express how grateful (and surprised) I am about everything you’ve done so far. I still can’t wrap my head around it. So I will just say thank you, and I hope I can repay your kindness one way or another._

_Please don’t spend too much money and energy on me, though, I don’t deserve that much._

_I hope you will have a wonderful day as well :)_

_Sincerely,_

_– Jihoon_

  
  
  
  


Two can play that game. Jihoon wonders how his Secret Santa will react when he sees that Jihoon has beaten him to it, this time.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Monday, December 7_ _th_

  
  
  


Jihoon doesn’t know how he ended up in this situation, but here he is. Sitting behind the passenger’s seat, he discreetly eyes Mingyu as the latter drives the three of them to some place that sells Christmas trees. In front of him, Minghao fumbles with his phone, shuffling through his playlists until he finds something satisfying.

“Just put on your usual, Minghao,” Mingyu tells him gently, patting his thigh.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he muses, his eyes riveted on his screen. Then, turning to Jihoon: “You don’t mind jazz, hyung, do you?”

“No, I–– Just play anything you like, I’ll be fine,” the oldest sighs, hoping the edge in his voice isn’t too noticeable.

“Alright.”

One of these days, he’s going to kill Soonyoung for what he puts him through. As he hears the first brassy notes, Jihoon rests his head against the window and looks outside, ignoring the other two who resume their conversation without him. Inside his coat pocket, his right hand curls on a small packet of white chocolates – today’s courtesy of his Secret Santa. The companion note reads:

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_It is getting very cold these days, isn’t it?_

_Please don’t forget to bundle up, I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold :(_

_Have a good day today too~_

_Sincerely,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  
  


Jihoon was hoping to get a reaction about the letter he left on the door for his Secret Santa, but he supposes that all the letters are written one day in advance. Hopefully he will hear about it tomorrow.

Today, Mingyu is wearing a thick leather jacket on top of a woolen sweater, along with a good old pair of jeans. This time, Jihoon had managed to _not_ choke on air at the mere sight of him. But as he was fumbling with his words, desperately thinking of what to say to sound even remotely interesting, Minghao had showed up. The brunet had then muttered a simple “Hey”, and nothing else.

  
  
  


( _“Can you tell me again why_ I _need to go buy that Christmas tree, Soon?”_

_“I can’t go! You know I have dance rehearsals all week with Chan. I can’t afford to skip them, our evaluation is coming up next Friday…”_

_Soonyoung looks at him with his usual puppy eyes, fully knowing Jihoon will not be able to refuse. The brunet sighs, exhausted at the mere thought of hauling a tree back to their place. What is he getting himself into?_

_“Mingyu is the only one who has a car and a driving license, and he’s kindly offered to bring the tree here, but he needs someone to open our door.”_

_“Can’t you just give him your keys or something?” Jihoon attempts, looking away as he puts his hands in his pockets._

_“We can’t make him go alone, it’s not nice… Please, Jihoon?”_

_“… Alright.”_ )

  
  
  


Jihoon knows he’s not being a good hyung, acting all petty and unapproachable. He can’t blame Mingyu for inviting a friend, and he’s heard enough about Minghao through Soonyoung and Jun to know that he’s a very nice person. But he can’t help it.

He’s jealous. There, he said it.

“Are you okay, hyung?” Mingyu asks him, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, I’m just tired,” he replies a bit too quickly. “You know. Midterms and everything.”

“You’re majoring in music theory and composition, right?”

Mingyu’s eyes seem to light up in curiosity as he asks the question, like a puppy discovering a new thing. Jihoon blushes slightly. How can someone be so stupidly handsome and cute at the same time?

“That’s right. Hopefully I can make it as a composer for an entertainment agency when I graduate.”

“I’m sure you can, hyung, you’ve got the skills for it,” Mingyu nods with a bright smile.

“Turn right here, Mingyu,” Minghao signals, his eyes riveted on the navigation system.

  
  


When they step out of the car, it is freezing outside. Jihoon regrets not bringing a scarf with him, as a shiver travels down his spine.

“It’s so cold,” Mingyu whines, rubbing his hands together in hope of warming them up.

“It’s winter, of course it’s going to be cold,” Jihoon replies automatically, before biting his lower lip.

_Why are you being so mean to him when he’s nothing but nice, Lee Jihoon?_ Mingyu doesn’t say anything, but Jihoon doesn’t miss Minghao’s pointed side look.

The three of them enter the large garden center and stop for a second, basking in the wonderful warmth. They head for the back of the store where the Christmas trees seem to be gathered, judging from the large arrows on the overhead signs.

“How big of a tree should we go for, Hyung?” Mingyu ponders, eyeing the tiniest trees displayed in a corner.

Jihoon browses the various trees on display, from the smallest – Do those even qualify as trees? Aren’t they saplings, at that stage? – to the biggest ones on the other side – is there anyone in South Korea who could fit a gigantic tree like those under their roof?

“I have no idea what Soonyoung wants,” he sighs, feeling like an idiot. “It needs to fit in your car, so we can’t get a big one, but he’ll whine if we get one of those midget trees.”

“How about that one then? It’s not the cheapest, but…”

The tree Mingyu is pointing at is almost as tall as Jihoon. If they cheat a little bit and put it on top of a large stool or something, it can look even bigger than it really is. No price is too high when it comes to Soonyoung’s happiness, the brunet thinks with a sigh, so he doesn’t take long to make his decision.

“Alright, let’s get this one,” he nods in defeat. “Soon will probably be over the moon.”

“I’ll go ask an employee to have it wrapped up for transport,” Minghao declares, leaving the two of them on their own.

Jihoon feels so very weird awkward, he thinks he might combust for real. He strays a few meters away, stopping in front of rows of tiny succulents. However, Mingyu doesn’t leave him alone for very long, and the youngest comes stand right next to him.

“That one’s pretty,” Mingyu smiles, gesturing at the crassula Jihoon has picked up.

He nods, delicately replacing it on the shelf. He doesn’t think he would care for it well enough. And they’re here for a Christmas tree, anyway.

“It’s a nice place to pick up gifts,” Jihoon comments absent-mindedly.

“Yeah, you’re right. I should really grab something from here.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s okay, I’ll come back later on my own,” Mingyu assures with a knowing smile. “Far away from prying eyes.”

When Minghao comes back, closely followed by a tired-looking employee, Mingyu naturally wraps his arm around his friend’s shoulders and bends down to whisper something in his ear. Jihoon wishes he didn’t feel that slight twinge deep inside his heart.

He’s figured it out, now.

He shouldn’t be surprised that Mingyu’s recipient, that special someone he seems to have a crush on, is actually Minghao.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


When Soonyoung gets home that night – announcing himself loudly as he almost kicks down the front door – his first reaction is to scream in delight.

“Oh my god, Jihoonie, we have a Christmas tree!!!!!”

The blond drops his bag in a corner and runs to the new addition in their living room, proudly installed on top of a kitchen chair – they had to make do with what they had on hand. The tree towers over their living room in all of its naked glory.

In all goblin fashion, the brunet merely grunts in acknowledgement, tightly wrapped in a snug blanket burrito on the couch. Having had years of experience dealing with his moods, his best friend seems to sense something is wrong.

“Hoonie, what’s up?”

Soonyoung sits down next to him, his brows furrowed in concern, and pulls him into a hug. Jihoon lets himself relax in his best friend’s arms, even though he’d rather die than admit that he needed that.

“You’re all sweaty and stinky,” he groans with fake indignation.

The blond cradles him for a while, patiently waiting for Jihoon to explain why he looks like he wants nothing more but to hibernate for six months. Or to kill everyone in sight, he isn’t too sure.

“… Christmas sucks.”

“This again?! I thought we were past this,” Soonyoung pouts, taking advantage of Jihoon’s burrito-state to poke his cheek freely. “What did that tree do to personally offend you?”

“Not the tree,” he grumbles.

“What is it, then? I figured you would enjoy your date with Mingyu,” his best friend smirks, slightly wiggling his eyebrows.

“Yeah, well, if that was a date then I was third-wheeling it.”

“You–– What do you mean?”

He tells Soonyoung about the whole thing, trying his best to sound unbothered, as the blond listens silently with an undecipherable expression. His best friend knows him by heart, but if he’s figured out what’s truly upsetting him, Soonyoung decides to not press the subject any further and gives him space. 

They end up watching anime together till 1AM, until Jihoon has had enough of smelling Soonyoung’s sweat and sends him to the shower. He loves his best friend, but his body odors not so much.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Tuesday, December 8_ _th_

  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_I’m glad you are enjoying my silly little notes so far!_

_I was kind of afraid you would be weirded out so I am happy to hear that :)_

_Don’t worry about me! As long as you are having a good time, all my efforts are worth it :)_

_Have a wonderful day~_

_Sincerely,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  
  


“You can stare at it for as long as you want, it still won’t tell you who wrote it, you know,” Jihoon hears in his back.

“Shut up, Soon.”

“How rude!”

The blond drops on the other side of the couch and pulls on the big blanket to cover his legs. He opens his laptop on a new blank page, but it doesn’t seem like Soonyoung is in the mood to work on his assignments.

“It must feel nice, getting mysterious presents every day,” Soonyoung comments, to which the brunet hums noncommittally. “I really wish my Secret Santa sent me love letters too!”

Jihoon violently chokes on his coffee at the unexpected addition. Soonyoung _cannot_ be serious right now.

“Love letters? Have we read the same thing?”

“You’ve got to admit, this whole thing sure looks like you got yourself a secret admirer!”

“Who would admire me, seriously? Listen to yourself,” Jihoon glowers, pulling again on the blanket so Soonyoung has to get his own.

“More people than you think,” the blond smiles as he rubs the other’s hair affectionately.

Jihoon scoffs indignantly. Soonyoung’s being ridiculous on purpose.

“I just really wonder who it is,” the brunet frowns. “You’d better not be tricking me and turn out to be the one behind this, Soon!”

“Me!?”

Soonyoung places his hand on his chest like he’s been hit with the worst insult one could possibly come up with, and Jihoon smiles. He still has that nagging feeling Soonyoung knows more about it than he lets on. But it’s okay. For now, he’ll just let go and try to enjoy his December.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Wednesday, December 9_ _th_

  
  
  


**[“XMAS RULES!!! Don’t forget to buy your presents, kids~”: 13 members]**

(10:23) **Soonyoung:** Our Christmas tree is still naked!! 😔😔

(10:23) **Soonyoung:** Who’s down to go on a hunt for some ornaments at the market? 🎄✨

(10:24) **Jihoon:** **⛔⛔⛔**

Before his best friend can use another one of his puppy eyes attack, Jihoon quickly opts out of this new mission. He’s behind on the three songs he has to turn in soon, and he definitely does _not_ need a new distraction.

His phone screen keeps lighting up without interruption, so he guesses Soonyoung won’t have to go alone after all anyway. He tries to stay focused on his uncooperative hook – something just sounds terribly _off_ , but he can’t put his finger on it – however, his curiosity gets the best of him.

(10:25) **Soonyoung:** I can’t even count on my best friend 😭😭

(10:25) **Wonwoo:** I’ll go with you, Soonyoung 👍

(10:25) **Jun:** Me too!! 😺😺

(10:25) **Mingyu:** Sure, I have a few things to pick up at the market

(10:26) **Minghao:** Guess I’ll go too, then~

(10:26) **Seokmin:** Oooh I want to come too!!

(10:26) **Seungkwan:** I’M IN 🕺🕺

(10:27) **Chan:** What are you talking about, hyung? You’re sick

(10:27) **Chan:** You look like a zombie

(10:27) **Chan:** _I feel like I became a zombie~_ _🎶_

(10:28) **Seungkwan:** **😡😡**

(10:29) **Seungkwan:** And you look like you should go back to your room

(10:29) **Chan:** You literally called me here saying you were dying

(10:30) **Seungkwan:** The slander!!!

(10:30) **Vernon:** Count us all out on this one, hyung 👋

(10:31) **Soonyoung:** Thank you for the clarification, Vernon 😴😴

(10:31) **Soonyoung:** Please make sure they don’t kill each other before Christmas~

(10:32) **Vernon:** **🤙🤙**

Jihoon snorts at the sudden energy everyone is displaying. Are they all desperate to buy gifts for their Secret Santa recipients? The markets in Seoul have such a wide variety of stores, they shouldn’t have too much trouble finding suitable presents.

He figures Wonwoo must be a nervous wreck right now – poor guy has been waiting forever for the perfect opportunity to confess, but now he _also_ has to find the perfect present for it – so Jihoon decides to text him a small encouragement: _“You’ve got this_ _💪_ _”_.

(10:33) **Soonyoung:** Alright!!

(10:34) **Soonyoung:** Wonwoo, Jun, Mingyu, Hao, Seokmin, let’s meet up at the dorms at 2PM!!

(10:34) **Soonyoung:** We’re going on an adventure 🤠

(10:38) **Jihoon:** I thought you had rehearsals every afternoon, Soon

(10:39) **Soonyoung:**???????????????????????

(10:39) **Soonyoung:** I have no idea what you’re talking about 🤓

Typical Soonyoung. Jihoon would scold him for it but, despite his chaotic penchants, his best friend generally tends to have his life together. He just hopes that Soonyoung doesn’t intend to make up for that free afternoon by pulling the whole dance team into an impromptu practice session all night long. They’re all passionate – read: crazy – enough to actually think it’s a good idea.

(10:41) **Jihoon:** Promise me you won’t come home at 4AM

(10:42) **Soonyoung:** **🤝😇**

He hasn’t been to class today – he didn’t have any – but that didn’t stop him from checking the front door when he woke up. His Secret Santa – Probably Seokmin? He doesn’t have a better candidate for the job – has been consistently leaving something on his door every morning, but not today. 

Jihoon couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. Maybe he has been spoiled a little too much already. He hopes he can repay Seokmin’s kindness one day; receiving all this attention has made him happier than his Secret Santa probably realizes.

He tries his best to not think about Mingyu and Minghao, spending the afternoon browsing the market stalls with linked arms. What is wrong with him? He should be happy that Mingyu has found his happiness in someone, even if that someone is not him.

Wonwoo’s sole reply to his text is _“_ _😱😵😭_ _”_. And Jihoon has to admit: it’s pretty accurate.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


When he hears keys turning to unlock the front door, Jihoon has managed to complete one of his three mandatory songs. His afternoon has been extremely productive, and he has managed to forget about all his Mingyu-related issues – at least for a while. He has definitely _not_ written lyrics about him during his breaks. Nope. Not a chance.

“I sure hope you haven’t bought anything obnoxiously loud or I _will_ be throwing it out the window very soon,” the brunet warns without looking away from his laptop screen.

As all the answer he gets is a slightly embarrassed cough, Jihoon raises his head, only to meet the eyes of an unexpected guest.

“Oh. You’re… not Soonyoung.”

Carrying numerous shopping bags in each hand, Mingyu gets rid of his shoes and slowly walks into the apartment. It looks like Soonyoung has taken advantage of his kindness to get him to bring home all the things the blond purchased.

“Soonyoung hyung went to practice with Jun hyung and Minghao so…” Mingyu explains sheepishly.

“I’ll scold him later,” Jihoon sighs, putting his laptop aside. “Thank you for going out of your way for this idiot. Here, you can just put everything down there.”

Mingyu drops all the bags in a corner while Jihoon gets up and heads to the kitchen. He should at least offer him some tea; it is freezing outside.

“It was no trouble. Oh, by the way,” Mingyu fumbles with his pockets and gets out a rattling tin box wrapped with a ribbon, “I found this on your doorstep.”

Could it be…? The brunet grabs the box – the metal feels warm against his fingers – and hurriedly removes the ribbon. Inside, he finds yet another letter as well as half a dozen of – evidently homemade – cookies.

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_Did you think I forgot you?_

_I’m sorry I’m late, my first batch wasn’t good enough so I had to make some more. You deserve the very best :)_

_I hope you had a good day today~_

_Sincerely,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  
  


As he reads the note, always written with the neatest strokes he’s ever seen, he cannot help the wide smile that spreads on his face. He grabs one cookie to munch on, and it tastes so wonderful he wants to scream in delight.

“Anything good, hyung?” Mingyu asks curiously, gesturing at the tin box and letter.

The oldest simply nods, not really keen on elaborating. Aside from Soonyoung, he hasn’t told anyone about his Secret Santa who now feels like his own little personal mystery to solve. He doesn’t want to share it with anyone else.

“I’ll go get some water running.”

  
  
  


Once they’re nicely settled on the couch with steaming cups of tea, Mingyu naturally starts telling him all about their afternoon adventures. It feels comfortable, sitting there with him, as if they had been close for a long time already. Jihoon finds himself relaxing a lot more around him.

The whole group had first decided to go to the street market, and when they had felt like they had seen it all, they had moved to another shopping district.

“At some point we stopped in front of a plush store, and Soonyoung hyung let out the biggest scream I’ve ever heard when he saw that two-meter long stuffed tiger.”

Jihoon scrunches his nose, indignantly blowing on his tea. Yes, that does sound like something Soonyoung would do. His unhealthy obsession with those animals will be the death of him.

“Please tell me nobody let him _actually_ buy it. I am not letting that thing in here.”

Mingyu laughs whole-heartedly, and Jihoon swears there is no sweeter melody in this universe. For the first time in his life, he wishes he were funnier so he could hear this sound all day long.

“What else did everyone buy?”

“I think Jun hyung bought a gaming mouse? He was trying to be discreet about it but, well, you know him.” 

A gaming mouse? That sounds like something Wonwoo – the official pro gamer of the group, ranked as _Elite_ on PUBG – would enjoy. He wouldn’t worry too much about Wonwoo noticing Jun’s purchase though; he probably had enough on his mind dealing with Soonyoung.

“Then we went to an antique store together. Minghao got something but he wouldn’t tell me what it is. Seokmin wouldn’t either.”

Could that mean that Mingyu is Minghao’s recipient, if he didn’t want to spoil the surprise for Mingyu…? Jihoon sighs, his hands tense on his teacup. It would be a funny coincidence if those two has indeed drawn each other’s names.

“What about you?” Jihoon continues, chasing that last thought away.

“Oh,” Mingyu shrugs noncommittally with a slight smile. “Just a few knick-knacks, nothing special. I haven’t bought my actual present.”

“I see. Me neither.”

They quietly sip on their teas, but the silence is not uncomfortable. It’s a shame he hasn’t met Mingyu sooner. Maybe he should have let Soonyoung drag him to parties and get-togethers more often.

“Were you working on your music, hyung?” the youngest asks, gesturing at the abandoned partitions on the coffee table.

“Oh, yeah. I still have two songs on the back-burner. I can’t wait to be done with my assignments.”

Mingyu hums in agreement. He seems to ponder internally, biting on his lower lip in hesitation, before turning to Jihoon and asking:

“Can you play something for me?”

If Soonyoung’s good at using puppy eyes, Mingyu is a full-blown professional. His eyes sparkle like he’s looking at an inconceivable treasure. What is it with those boys who manipulate him so easily?

“Alright, alright,” he sighs in defeat. “Let me go grab my guitar.”

He thinks about all his self-composed songs he could play, wondering which one he should go for. He has uploaded most of them on his Soundcloud under the name Woozi – though most people on his campus know that Woozi is just a tiny grumpy junior who’s closer to being a cryptid than a cool person – but there’s another song that comes to mind.

He has made _포옹Hug_ at a time when Soonyoung was feeling particularly down, doubting himself so much that he was considering quitting dance altogether. So far, Jihoon has never felt like he could share this piece of their history with anyone else – especially not with random strangers on Soundcloud. But something in his heart tells him that Mingyu might appreciate the true nature of that song.

When he settles down on the couch with his guitar and his box of picks – God knows he is running out, he seems to be losing them all the time – Mingyu is looking at him expectantly, one arm propped on the back of the couch. Jihoon feels self-conscious but he tries his best to ignore that unpleasant feeling.

He breathes in deeply, his pulse slightly starting up, before he plays the first note.

_🎶_ _When you’re feeling exhausted, you can come to me for a hug, you’re not alone_

 _🎶_ _No matter how much you try to hide it, you know it’s not something you can cover up_

As Jihoon strokes the strings of his guitar, the lyrics come back to him as naturally as if he had been playing this song every day of his life. He and Soonyoung had been fighting a lot, at that time, and Jihoon is particularly bad at expressing his feelings.

_🎶_ _So that we can smile at each other again_

_🎶_ _Don’t be sorry, don’t worry, don’t be afraid, don’t cry anymore_

 _🎶_ _To me, you’re endlessly precious_

Thus, he had done the only thing he’s ever been good at, and he had poured all of his deepest feelings into that song. Ignoring Soonyoung’s protests, he had sat down his best friend and made him listen quietly, until they were both ugly crying messes.

_🎶_ _You probably had a tough day so let me tell you_

 _🎶_ _That I’m here, that you’ve done well, that I love you_

 _🎶_ _And that I will tightly hug you_

The brunet hits the song’s last note, letting it resonate until the strings stop moving on their own. Stunned, Mingyu doesn’t say anything at first, and Jihoon wonders if the youngest didn’t like it after all. Until he suddenly hears a sniffle.

“Oh wow hyung, that–– that was beautiful.”

“Are you crying!?”

He doesn’t know if he should think of it as a badge of honor, but he can now say his songs have made pretty boys cry. Maybe he should have gone for an upbeat song after all.

  
  
  


Once Mingyu has been provided with tissues and they’re both sipping on another cup of tea – Mingyu seems comfortable on their couch, and it doesn’t look like he wants to go back home anytime soon – the youngest seems to have calmed down.

“You haven’t put that one on Soundcloud, have you?”

“Ah, you’ve heard about my Soundcloud?”

“Of course,” Mingyu replies with a smile. “Soonyoung can’t shut up about it.”

Jihoon sighs in embarrassment at his best friend’s antics. That idiot and his blabbering mouth. He wouldn’t be surprised if half his followers first heard about him through Soonyoung. Maybe he should hire the blond as his manager.

“You know what, we should just decorate that Christmas tree on our own, without him,” Jihoon decides suddenly as he slowly gets on his feet.

“Isn’t he gonna be mad, though?”

“Probably, but that’s on him. He promised he wouldn’t go to practice after your shopping trip and look where he is.”

Jihoon extends his phone to show Mingyu his best friend’s Instagram story – a mirror selfie of the four dancers sweating profusely in their dance studio.

“I guess that’s fair then.”

“Shall we?” Jihoon asks with a bright smile.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Thursday, December 10_ _th_

  
  
  


“I can’t believe you didn’t even wait for me to put up all the ornaments!! Me! Your very own best friend!”

“Are you still hung up on that?”

Jihoon breathes in deeply, while Soonyoung keeps on whining about “being abandoned, left all alone, forsaken by the one person he thought he could trust (…)” – Jihoon stops listening after that point. Their apartment smells particularly good today, thanks to his Secret Santa’s tenth present to him – namely, a scented candle.

“Do I have to buy you chocolate to make you happy again?” he sighs, interrupting Soonyoung’s diatribe.

The blond stops pacing, puffing his cheeks. At times like these, he resembles a hamster so much Jihoon can barely hold in a laugh.

“Yes, please.”

Jihoon chuckles at the blond’s caving in so quickly. That’s one perk of being best friends with Soonyoung: as long as you bring food into the equation, he won’t stay mad for too long.

“So.”

“So?” Jihoon raises a curious eyebrow at Soonyoung, who’s smirking at him.

“Mingyu?”

Jihoon purses his lips. He can already feel where this is going, and he doesn’t like it one bit. If making Soonyoung happy with chocolate is easy enough, it’s nearly impossible to get his best friend to stop grilling him about whatever it is that catches his attention.

“What about him.”

“He’s nice,” the blond notes with a knowing smile. “And cute.”

“Yes, that is… an accurate observation.”

“You’re nice and cute, too.”

Jihoon’s face turns red at the implied suggestion. All of Soonyoung’s previous attempts at playing matchmaker for him have turned into hot disasters, and this would make no exception. Jihoon glares at Soonyoung, which only makes him giddier.

“No. Just, no. That is out of the question.”

“I’m just saying,” the blond comments innocently, raising his hands in the air in surrender before heading to his bedroom, narrowly avoiding the pillow that Jihoon tossed in his direction.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Saturday, December 12_ _th_

  
  
  


When Jihoon presses the doorbell button at A227, the whole situation feels familiar. It is once again Seungcheol who opens the door with a bright smile, and Joshua is still lying on the sofa like a wounded man, while Jeonghan and Soonyoung strut around like they own the place.

“So we’re going with ham as a main dish,” Jeonghan enumerates, Soonyoung taking diligent notes on his phone.

“Yes, ham is a typical American Christmas thing,” Joshua sighs deeply, like they’ve been having this conversation for hours.

“How big of a ham should we get for thirteen people?”

“I don’t know, at least four kilos of it?” he shrugs noncommittally. 

“We’ll also need potatoes… and vegetables…” Jeonghan enumerates as he counts on his fingers.

“Can we have roasted chestnuts too??” Soonyoung asks excitedly.

“Sure! Shua, you’re on chestnut duty.”

The American groans, burying his face under a pillow so he doesn’t hear any more of their nonsense.

“Hey,” Jihoon greets them, as no one seems to have noticed his presence yet.

“Jihoon, you’ll deal with the appetizers,” is all the greetings he receives. “Soonyoung can take care of the ham. Wonwoo and Seokmin will help you with the vegetables and everything.”

The brunet squints. Soonyoung’s culinary skills are not particularly trustworthy, so he wonders if it really is the safest arrangement. 

“Cheollie, can you find us some nice champagne? It would be a shame to have a Christmas dinner without champagne. And other drinks, maybe.”

“Sure, I can do that!”

“Mingyu, Minghao, and Jun will take care of the cake – yes, Soonie, it will have plenty of chocolate,” Jeonghan adds before the blond can interrupt him. “And the kids said they would bring candy, cookies, gingerbread men, and everything. Something about baking as much as possible in a single day.”

“I wouldn’t want to be their roommate.” Seungcheol pouts. “Knowing them, their baking session is gonna bring some full-blown chaos,” 

“And what are you in charge of, exactly, Hannie?” Joshua questions suspiciously from under the pillow.

Jeonghan smiles as he sits down across Joshua’s lap, earning himself a light slap in admonition.

“Ordering you all around, of course.”

“I’d better get the best present in the world for putting up with all this,” Joshua grumbles.

In the corner of his eye, he notices Soonyoung acting fidgety all of a sudden. Well, thank God Joshua hyung cannot see him – he is still hiding under that pillow – otherwise he might have figured out who he should expect a present from.

“And I deserve the biggest Lego set in existence for running everything smoothly,” Jeonghan scoffs, side-eyeing Seungcheol who looks back at him sheepishly.

“Am I the only one who will be happy with anything I get?” Seungcheol asks.

“You are too good for this world, Cheol,” Joshua sighs contentedly. “I’m glad––”

Jeonghan slaps his arm in return before Joshua can finish his sentence. 

“Too bad I didn’t pick your name, Cheollie,” Jeonghan pouts. “But it’s okay, I get to give my gift to my favorite dongsaeng.”

“I thought we weren’t supposed to give hints about who we got,” Joshua protests, finally the pillow from his face and patting Jeonghan’s thigh.

“You aren’t. However, I never said anything about myself.”

“I hate you.”

Jihoon doesn’t even remember what he was called here for, but he wishes he had brought popcorn.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Tuesday, December 15_ _th_

  
  
  


“What should I do, Hoshi?”

Jihoon strums random strings on his guitar with his brand new pick – present number 13 –, producing some obscure melody he doesn’t particularly like. On the coffee table sits the little crassula – present number 15 – he’s named after his best friend’s stage persona. Hopefully it will thrive just as much as his namesake does on stage.

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_I hope you are feeling happy these days :)_

_You might not know who I am yet, but I am happy I got to meet you~_

_Are you excited for the 24th? ^-^ I know I am!!_

_I also hope you will like your new tiny friend! (She’ll like a lot of sunlight but don’t water her too much~)_

_Sincerely,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  
  


Christmas is only nine days away, and he has yet to find a gift for Jun. Not that he has given it a lot of thought, anxious as he was over his late assignments. So far he has turned in two compositions out of three. Once he finishes the third one, he’ll only have to worry about next week’s mid-semester performance – which he is almost ready for – and then he will be done. 

“I’m the worst at gift giving… And I can’t ask your uncle for help, or he’ll start grilling me about who it is that I’m buying it for,” he sighs. “It’s a miracle he has managed to behave so far.”

The brunet puts down his guitar and grabs his phone, hoping inspiration will strike him somehow. The group chat has been relatively quiet these days apart from the occasional banter; the four dancers have been holed up from noon to dawn in their studio, so the usual loudmouths – read: Soonyoung and Chan, and by extension Seungkwan who only shows up to slander the youngest of the group – don’t text as much.

**[“XMAS RULES!!! D-9!!!!** **🤩🤩** **”: 13 members]**

(13:03) **Jihoon:** Anyone free right now to go gift-shopping?

By the time he’s done scrolling through his Instagram feed, a few replies have come in.

(13:05) **Wonwoo:** Sorry Jihoon, can’t, I’m tutoring freshmen 😢😢

(13:07) **Seokmin:** Already got mine!! 😊

(13:08) **Jeonghan:** Someone didn’t plan ahead~

(13:11) **Mingyu:** I’m down if you want hyung 😃

Jihoon stops for a second, his thumbs hovering over his keyboard. What is he feeling so unsure for? He types out his reply, jumps to his feet and goes to grab his things.

(13:13) **Jihoon:** Sure! Let’s meet at the subway station in 10

  
  
  


How big is Mingyu’s wardrobe, and why does everything make him look so astonishingly handsome? Today, the sophomore is wearing a jeans jacket over a black sweatshirt, which coincidentally matches Jihoon’s own outfit. They almost look like a couple. Jihoon blushes slightly as the thought.

“Hey hyung,” the youngest greets him with a bright smile, and Jihoon’s heart leaps in his chest.

“Hey. Shall we go?”

They spend the subway ride discussing what kind of shops they’re going to visit, but neither seem to be really sure about what they want to buy. They opt to go to a district with lots of apparel stores, hoping they might find hidden gems. 

The streets are unusually crowded for a Tuesday afternoon, and Jihoon tries his best to stick closely to Mingyu’s side so he doesn’t get lost. The youngest seems to notice his distress because he naturally wraps his arm around the other’s shoulders. Jihoon stiffens a little.

“Where do you want to go first?” Mingyu asks as they turn right.

“Maybe somewhere that sells sportswear? That would be a good start.”

Jun might appreciate more clothes to wear for dance practice, considering how quickly they all go through their own. Mingyu nods and has them take a left on a parallel street. He seems to be familiar with the area, so Jihoon lets him lead the way. 

  
  
  


After browsing through countless clothes in three different stores, Jihoon feels exhausted when they step into a fourth one. Mingyu, on the contrary, seems only too happy to visit a new shop.

“Look, hyung! They’re selling activewear with animal prints!” 

Before Jihoon can react, Mingyu grabs him by the wrist and takes him to a rack on the right side of the shop. While the youngest grabs the puppy-printed ones – “Aren’t they the cutest, hyung?” – Jihoon takes a pair of pants with cat faces printed on each pocket. On the rack below, he even finds a matching t-shirt to wear with it.

“Oh my god, they even make socks to go with the set!”

Jihoon can’t help but feel endeared by Mingyu’s enthusiasm. He must have noticed Jihoon smiling on the side because he chuckles shyly. Holding up two hangers in front of him, he asks:

“What do you think? Should I buy it?”

He wonders why Mingyu – beacon of fashion, god-like body, would look good wearing a potato sack – is asking him – who only wears black clothes and doesn’t know how to dress nicely – his opinion on an outfit. Especially when Minghao – his best friend and also probably the person he likes – always looks like he came straight out of a fashion runway.

“Sure. You’ll look very cute in those.”

Mingyu smiles brightly, as if he’s been complimented for the first time in his life. He puts the clothes on his left arm and wraps the right one around Jihoon’s shoulders again, like it belongs there.

“If you like them then I’ll keep them. Are you buying the cat version for the Secret Santa thing?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Jihoon nods hesitantly.

“I’m sure the person you’ll give them to will be very happy,” Mingyu assures, rubbing his shoulder softly.

  
  
  


Once they’re out of the shop, Mingyu carrying both of their bags, they keep walking aimlessly in the district as they talk about anything and everything. Mingyu insists on treating him to some street food and, despite his initial reluctance – “But I’m the hyung here!” “Just let me treat you, hyung, it’s okay!” – he ends up giving in and happily munches on his fish cake.

If they had crossed paths earlier, maybe that could have been a date. Jihoon thinks he would have enjoyed that. His heart beats painfully in his chest until he chases that thought away.

It’s only once he’s back home and taking off his shoes that he wonders why Mingyu came at all since he apparently did not need to shop for a gift.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Wednesday, December 16_ _th_

  
  
  


“I’m home!”

Soonyoung is back at a normal time, tonight. Jihoon grunts in acknowledgment from the couch, where he’s bundled up in blankets while Black Panther plays on his computer.

Once he has showered, his best friend goes straight to the kitchen to make himself some ramyeon – anyone would be starving after dancing so much in one single day – then comes sit down next to him. The movie is already halfway through, but Jihoon has made him watch Black Panther enough times that he knows it by heart now.

“Hey, I’m cold!” Soonyoung pouts as he pulls on the blanket.

“How are you still so perky,” Jihoon groans, reluctantly giving up on the comfort of his blanket burrito.

Soonyoung settles comfortably against him, and Jihoon leaves him be. Between the two, he has always been the most snuggly one. After ten years of friendship, Jihoon’s learned to appreciate it.

“We had a good rehearsal today,” the blond explains between two mouthfuls. “Everything went smoothly!! We’re ready to kick ass on Friday.”

“Good for you,” he mumbles, resting his head on the other’s shoulder.

They watch the movie quietly, Jihoon waiting for Soonyoung to finish eating his noodles.

“December has been pretty fun so far, hasn’t it?”

“I guess, yeah,” Jihoon shrugs noncommittally.

On his side, he can feel Soonyoung breathe in deeply. Deep in his heart, Jihoon feels bad about his attitude. His best friend has made up that whole elaborate “Secret Santa + Christmas feast” plan specifically for him, but he can’t bring himself to feel as cheerful as Soonyoung. 

After spending so many Christmases on his own, Jihoon’s mind progressively started associating December with melancholy and loneliness. Plus, it’s a naturally cold and dark month, which is everything Jihoon hates. He can’t wait for spring to come back again.

He is grateful for his Secret Santa, though, as the notes and presents he receives every day never fail to warm his heart when he needs it the most. He doesn’t deserve so much care and attention.

“I promise I’ll save your Christmas, Hoonie,” the blond replies as he messes up Jihoon’s hair. “There is no way I am letting you brood all throughout December.”

“It’s okay, Soon, I’m not your responsibility.”

“No, Hoon. I’m sorry I left you alone on Christmas during the past years. But this time you won’t be alone, I promise.”

It’s true that his best friend is the biggest romantic about Christmas, always out on dates on that particular night. Since that ugly breakup with his ex, last summer, it will be the first time in years that Soonyoung spends that holiday as a single man. 

“Your ex sucked,” Jihoon snorts with disgust at the memory.

“Yeah, fuck that guy,” Soonyoung nods fiercely, feigning an indifference that Jihoon sees right through. The wound has almost closed, but it is still painful. “It would be nice to get a smooch from someone but, this year, my one and only mission is to make you have a good time.”

“You deserve to get that smooch, Soonie.”

Jihoon gently pats the other’s thigh under the blanket. If Wonwoo finally gets his act together, Soonyoung might get that kiss after all. He has a feeling that the two would be good for one another.

“You too, Hoonie. You too.”

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Thursday, December 17_ _th_

  
  
  


Jihoon’s back could scream in pain if it had a voice when the brunet finally gets up from his chair in the music studio. He massages his neck, hoping to soothe the pain a little. He has been holed up in there for fifteen hours straight, and he feels positively exhausted. Soonyoung will probably yell at him later for it, especially since he turned off his phone for maximum concentration.

When Jihoon finally unlocks the door of the music studio, it’s already 9PM. Normally, he would make an effort to take regular breaks to eat and rest, but it was a time of emergency – his songs are due the next day, and he had still barely made any progress on the third one – so he didn’t have much else of a choice. At least he’s done, now, so he can go home and crash.

He turns his phone back on as he climbs up the stairs – the studios are located in the basement – and he receives a dozen notifications at once.

**[From: Soonyoung]**

(10:47) **Soonyoung:** Hoonie be careful there’ll probably be a snowstorm tonight 🌨❄

(10:47) **Soonyoung:** Don’t go too late or you might be stuck outside~

(13:25) **Soonyoung:** I sure hope you ate something since you left this morning Hoonie 😤😤

(15:26) **Soonyoung:** LEE JIHOON

(15:26) **Soonyoung:** HAVE YOU BEEN TURNING YOUR PHONE OFF AGAIN 😡

(17:04) **Soonyoung:** God it’s already snowing so hard outside

(17:04) **Soonyoung:** Don’t blame me if buses aren’t running and you can’t go home tonight 😒

(18:19) **Soonyoung:** God Hoonie you worry me whenever you do that 😔

(18:19) **Soonyoung:** I’ll probably stay at the studio all night long with the guys 🌃

(18:20) **Soonyoung:** Let me know when you make it home safe!!

Sure enough, when Jihoon reaches the front door of the building, everything has turned white outside. The brunet pales on the spot. He’s only wearing a sweatshirt, and there is no way buses are running in this weather.

(21:14) **Jihoon:** Oh god what do I do

That’s it, he’s going to freeze to death because he was too busy writing and recording a love song about his crush.

(21:16) **Soonyoung:**!!!!!!!

(21:16) **Soonyoung:** That’s what you get for disappearing the entire day 😤😤

(21:17) **Soonyoung:** Are you still at uni??

(21:18) **Jihoon:** Yeah

(21:18) **Jihoon:** I just got out of the studio

(21:18) **Jihoon:** Guess what I’m wearing

(21:19) **Soonyoung:** Good god Hoon don’t tell me you left without your jacket again

(21:19) **Jihoon:** **🤡**

(21:19) **Soonyoung:** **😡**

(21:20) **Soonyoung:** Well it’s your lucky day

(21:20) **Soonyoung:** I’m sending you a guardian angel 👼

(21:21) **Soonyoung:** You can repay me later 😍

Jihoon raises his eyebrows curiously, wondering if Soonyoung ordered a taxi for him. He guesses he doesn’t have much of a choice but to patiently wait, so he settles next to a barely warm radiator. It seems like central heating has been turned off for the night. A shiver runs down his spine. 

Exhaustion suddenly hits him all at once, after he powered through the entire day on an empty stomach. His eyes can’t stay open any longer, and he dozes off peacefully.

  
  
  


When he feels a hand carefully shaking his shoulder, he jerks up immediately.

“Hey hyung,” a familiar voice greets him as he slowly gets his bearings.

Oh. When he recognizes Mingyu’s face, his heart leaps happily in his chest. Did he come all the way to get him…?

“Hey Mingyu…” he mutters, still only half-awake. “What are you doing here?”

“Soonyoung hyung asked me to bring you home because _“that idiot didn’t know about the snowstorm and now he’s stuck outside”_ ,” Mingyu says as he mimics Soonyoung’s exasperation with a smile. “I’m only quoting.”

“God, I’m sorry about that,” Jihoon sighs as he rubs his eyes. “It’s true, I’m an idiot.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry,” the youngest assures, rubbing Jihoon’s shoulder in an affectionate manner. “You’re freezing, hyung!”

Before Jihoon can react in any way, Mingyu takes off his coat and places it on the oldest’s shoulders. He wants to protest, but the coat feels very warm and comfortable around his body, so he puts it on without a complaint. Mingyu grabs Jihoon’s bag and says:

“Let’s get you home! I didn’t park very far, don’t worry.”

“Thank you,” Jihoon mutters, slowly tagging along behind him.

Temperatures seem to have significantly dropped since early morning when Jihoon first left the house, but he doesn’t feel cold. Mingyu’s coat is way too big on him, covering his entire hands, and it also smells a lot like him. It feels like Jihoon is receiving a warm hug from the sophomore.

Jihoon remains quiet on the ride home as the youngest carefully drives them in the snow – he didn’t even need to give him directions, Mingyu somehow remembering where he lives. He listens to Mingyu telling him about his day – something about trying to make a burger the American way and having Joshua taste it – and his stomach growls right on cue. 

“When did you last eat, hyung?”

When Jihoon doesn’t answer, turning his head away innocently when Mingyu side-eyes him, the youngest almost fully stops the car and changes directions.

“There’s no way I’m letting you get home without eating first!”

  
  
  


They get to Jihoon’s apartment twenty minutes later with boxes of takeout, and the oldest could sing when he feels the warm air as he steps inside. He quickly gets rid on his shoes and – begrudgingly – takes off Mingyu’s coat.

“You can make yourself at home.”

They settle comfortably on the couch, bundled in blankets in front of a movie, and they dig in ravenously.

“Thank you for driving me home,” Jihoon mutters once again, feeling terribly embarrassed that the youngest had to go outside for his sake. “And getting me food.”

“Anytime,” Mingyu replies with a smile, propping his arm on the back of the couch. “You can call me directly, next time! I really don’t mind.”

“Ah, well… I wouldn’t want to take advantage of your kindness, Minggu––” Jihoon stutters, turning red, “I mean Mingyu.”

“Minggu?” he stops for a second, repeating the mispronounced name as if to get a feel of it on his tongue. “I like it, it’s cute!”

Jihoon’s heart pounds in his chest as Mingyu beams at him. If the cold didn’t kill him, then that boy definitely will.

“Okay. Minggu it is, then.”

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Friday, December 18_ _th_

  
  
  


**[“XMAS RULES!!! MIDTERMS ARE OVER THANK GOD”: 13 members]**

(11:56) **Soonyoung:** WE ARE FREE

(11:57) **Jun:** **😎😎**

(11:57) **Chan:** That could have ended terribly wrong though 💀

(11:58) **Seokmin:** What happened?? 😲

(11:58) **Chan:** …Soonyoung hyung tripped on cables and almost broke our teacher’s laptop 💀

(11;59) **Soonyoung:** SHHH!!

(11:59) **Soonyoung:** That did not happen!!

(12:00) **Minghao:** Almost did, though

(12:01) **Soonyoung:** Once again

(12:01) **Soonyoung:** SHHH!!!!

(12:01) **Soonyoung:** Now

(12:01) **Soonyoung:** What I originally wanted to say was:

(12:02) **Soonyoung:** Who wants to go to Lotte World??? 🤩🤩🤩

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


Even if everything is white outside, giving off a wonderful wintery vibe, Jihoon knew it was a bad idea to bring thirteen college guys ice skating. They are a mess.

While all three seniors are off to get everyone’s ice skates – bless Jeonghan’s memory for learning all their shoe sizes in ten seconds – there isn’t much to do except observing the others.

On one side, Soonyoung and Seokmin are goofing around – acting as a bickering grandpa and grandma – for Jun and Wonwoo’s greatest amusement, while Seungkwan and Chan are arguing about some obscure cookie-related issue on the other side. Minghao and Vernon have disappeared out-of-sight, presumably to take some pictures in a less crowded area.

Mingyu is standing on his own at the edge of the rink, watching other skaters enjoying their time on the ice, but he seems tense. His fingers are clutching the railing, like he doesn’t want to go there himself.

“Are you okay?” Jihoon asks as he comes to stand next to him.

“Yeah… Yeah,” Mingyu bites his lip in worry. “I’ve just never tried ice-skating before.”

“Oh.”

He wasn’t expecting Kim Mingyu, who always looks so effortlessly confident, to be nervous about that. Jihoon blows on his bare hands, in an attempt to warm them up a little. Unsurprisingly, he’s forgotten his gloves and his scarf at home as usual. At least he took a coat this time.

“Well, as long as you have some sense of balance, you will be fine,” Jihoon muses after a while.

That doesn’t seem to be the right answer, because Mingyu starts blushing slightly as he purses his lips.

“What? Are you the clumsy type?”

“… Maybe?” Mingyu pouts as he looks away.

Jihoon chuckles lightly. That boy is too cute for his own good. He wants to place his hand on top of his to reassure him, but something deep in his heart tells him not to. In the corner of his eye, he notices Minghao and Vernon coming back to the group. So he opts for a simple pat on Mingyu’s shoulder before turning away.

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

  
  
  


For some reason, he cannot take his eyes off of Seungkwan, Chan, and Vernon. As the first two skate hand-in-hand, the third quietly follows as he snaps pictures of them. Sometimes, Seungkwan turns back just to blow a kiss at the camera, and Vernon smiles brightly in return. 

There seems to be some kind of unspoken connection between the three, something that runs deeper than mere friendship. Anyone who looks at them for more than a second will notice the stolen glances and the subtle touches they keep exchanging. 

Jealousy runs deep under Jihoon’s skin. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so miserable whenever that time of year comes round if he had a significant someone with whom he could share the excitement of Christmas. 

Jihoon skates on his own for a little while, sliding between other people while deep in thought. As he gets closer to the railing, he notices Mingyu holding onto it for dear life. Minghao, easily noticeable in his bright-colored coat, is having fun with Jun on the other side of the rink.

“Do you need help?” he asks softly as he stops next to the sophomore.

Mingyu looks at him with wet eyes, and he swears he could melt right on the spot. The youngest seems so vulnerable that Jihoon wants nothing more but to make that worried expression go away.

“Can you…?” Mingyu mutters, visibly struggling to stay upright without falling over.

“Sure,” Jihoon assures, even though he hasn’t really thought this through. “Just… hold my hands. We’ll go slow, is that alright, Minggu?”

Despite his obvious nervousness, Mingyu nods timidly. His lips grow into a smile at the nickname, and Jihoon melts a little inside. The youngest slowly unhooks his gloved hands from the barrier and carefully places them in Jihoon’s who holds them tight.

“I’ve got you, okay? Let’s just try to walk for now.”

Sticking to the edge of the rink where nobody can accidentally bump into them, Jihoon walks backwards in front of Mingyu while the latter tries to walk steadily. Once the sophomore feels more self-assured, they start gliding on the ice at a very slow pace.

“See? You’re already getting better,” Jihoon encourages him, which makes Mingyu smile sheepishly as his cheeks turn pink.

Soon enough, when Jihoon deems him ready to go faster, he lets go of Mingyu’s right hand so he can place himself next to him. The pair goes around the rink a few times, hand in hand, the sophomore trying his best to stay on his feet and follow along. At some point Jihoon releases Mingyu’s other hand and starts skating around the other boy teasingly, just to show off.

“You’re good at this, hyung,” Mingyu laughs whole-heartedly.

When Jihoon grabs his hand again, Mingyu’s gloves are gone. The latter’s skin feels hot again Jihoon’s cold fingers, and he can’t help but notice how small his hands are compared to Mingyu’s. The sophomore doesn’t let him shy away, though, and the two keep skating together until the end of the session.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


**[From: Minggu** **🌟** **]**

(22:23) Hey Hyung 😊

(22:23) I hope I’m not bothering you!

(22:24) I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to teach me how to skate today 👯♂️

(22:24) I had a great time with you~

(22:26) Good night hyung 😌💞

“What’s wrong, Hoon?” Soonyoung asks curiously as he munches on his fried chicken.

“Nothing,” Jihoon replies from under the blanket, where he’s hiding his furious blush.

He is so very screwed.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Sunday, December 20_ _th_

  
  
  


Jihoon has barely set foot in the apartment that he gets bombarded by Soonyoung.

“Hoonie, we need to talk!!”

“Why, hello to you too, Soon.”

He yawns as he drops his bag in a corner and crashes on the couch, slipping under the blanket. 

“What is it?” he asks as he closes his eyes and tilts his head back.

He has spent his entire day rehearsing for his evaluation next Tuesday and he feels too tired to humor Soonyoung, but he is curious to know what grabbed his attention this time.

“Don’t _“what is it”_ me, don’t think I haven’t seen you texting Mingyu ever since you two had your little ice skating date!”

Jihoon chokes before darting a murderous stare at his best friend, who only returns a knowing look.

“I have _not_ , and it was _not_ a date, I just helped him!”

“Yeah, and you also held his hand for three hours,” Soonyoung scoffs.

They are _so not_ having this conversation right now. Jihoon can feel his cheeks turning red, and he wants to hide under the blanket – but he won’t, that would be admitting everything to Soonyoung.

“Shut up.”

“You’ve always been so difficult when it comes to your crushes!” Soonyoung sighs, patting the brunet’s shoulder as the latter wriggles to get out of reach.

“I’d rather eat dirt.”

“Or you just prefer writing songs about them. Oh, _oh_ ,” he stops, grinning excitedly at Jihoon who doesn’t like where this is going, “you _have_ already, am I right?”

“I do _not_ write songs about my crushes, shut up.”

“Yes, you do. I like to think I know your _modus operandi_ now. I also haven’t forgotten about that _Mansae_ song you wrote back in middle school. God, that was something!”

Jihoon throws a pillow at his best friend, but the blond expected it and catches it easily. Why did he befriend that idiot back in sixth grade again?

“I’ll come watch your evaluation performance then,” Soonyoung concludes defiantly. “You can’t hide forever, Hoonie!”

“I’m not telling you when or where it happens,” the brunet sulks, crossing his arms on his chest.

“Fine! Suit yourself!”

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Tuesday, December 22_ _nd_

  
  
  


As a music theory and composition major, Jihoon not only has to compose a fair number of songs for assignments, but he must also perform some of them at evaluations each semester. Being a junior, he now has significant experience on stage, but he cannot help feeling slightly anxious before each show.

Those stages aren’t anything fancy: he is simply supposed to play the melody on an instrument and sing – they are allowed to use a backing track to flesh out the instrumental – in front of his teachers and whoever wants to attend. It’s mostly just his classmate’s friends showing up to support them – Jihoon has never thought his performances were important enough to have his friends waste their time on it.

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_Good luck for your evaluation today!_

_I am sure your performance will once again be phenomenal :) You have already proved your skills many times!_

_Are you excited for our Christmas dinner in two days?_

_I am slightly nervous to reveal myself but I also cannot wait to have fun with everyone!_

_Sincerely,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  


It seems like whoever his Secret Santa is, he has been informed about Jihoon mid-semester evaluation. After receiving over twenty letters and gifts from him, Jihoon isn’t even sure about who he suspects anymore. Seokmin seemed like the perfect suspect, but so far he has been acting more normal than the brunet would have expected.

Today, the letter contains an antique bronze brooch shaped like a flying sparrow. It has been polished so carefully Jihoon can almost see his exact reflection on it. After much consideration, he decides to pin it onto his jacket lapel. It’s so considerably pretty, he might as well show it off to everyone.

  
  
  


When he arrives at the small auditorium and notices Soonyoung’s gigantic “🌟 OUR JIHOON – TOMORROW’S BRIGHT MUSIC STAR 🌟” sign first thing, he dies a little inside at the ludicrousness of it. He should have expected his best friend would find out when and where his evaluation would be taking place.

“I can’t believe you,” he groans when he walks up to his best friend’s seat. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”

“We’re your official cheerleading squad for the day!” Soonyoung grins brightly, pointing at the people sitting beside him. 

A few heads bend down to smile at him, and Jihoon notices that the entire Christmas squad has showed up – including Mingyu. He can already feel his cheeks burning up. Good freaking Lord.

“Oh wow. Thanks for coming, you didn’t have to… I don’t know if it’s going to be very exciting, to be honest.”

Maybe he can get them to leave, somehow?

“Nonsense,” Jeonghan waves him off distractingly. “A little birdie told us every single one of your performances have been amazing.”

Jihoon frowns at Soonyoung – Mingyu coughs loudly in the background – but his best friend suddenly won’t meet his eyes. However, he can’t investigate the matter any further as his teachers are now calling up everyone for roundup. He sighs. 

He’s the first one to go today, and his legs threaten to give in when he climbs on stage to sit at his keyboard. His heart is beating with a nervous excitement he knows too well, amplified by the additional twelve pairs of eyes riveted on him. But his fingers are itching to play.

“Ready to go, Jihoon?” his first instructor asks.

Jihoon nods. Each student has three songs to perform today – though they were encouraged to cut out a chorus, a verse, or the bridge in order to save time – so he might as well start as soon as possible.

The backing track starts playing, and Jihoon’s lips naturally grow into a smile. _My My_ is a song of hope and happiness he started writing a couple months ago, at a time when he was feeling at the top of the world, and to this day, it has never failed to cheer him up.

_🎶_ _Beyond the sun, I’ll find my my my my way_

 _🎶_ _Getting closer with every step, this is the place I’ve always dreamed of_

 _🎶_ _Let’s keep our hearts steady_

 _🎶_ _Come to me, closer and closer, my my way_

As he isn’t wearing any in-ear monitor, he distinctly hears Soonyoung cheering him on and immediately getting scolded by a teacher for disrupting the evaluation; Jihoon holds in a laugh at his friend’s antics, and he ends the song feeling relaxed.

He smiles at the audience, where everyone is loudly clapping for him, but he doesn’t have much time to enjoy it before the four-beat drumstick sound signaling the start of the second backing track is heard.

His fingers fly on the keys as he plays the first notes of _바람개비 Pinwheel_. The lyrics came to him in a dream, in which a lone pinwheel stood at the top of a hill, ready to take on the cruel world. It is a singular piece amidst his usual light-hearted work, but Jihoon holds this song close to his heart.

_🎶_ _As I wait, hoping to see you again some day_

 _🎶_ _The cold wind seems to keep on blowing_

 _🎶_ _A small pinwheel is standing alone, vacantly_

 _🎶_ _Looking for another anxious and lonely soul, someone like me_

When Jihoon raises his eyes to look at the audience, he notices Mingyu staring intently at him. His voice wavers slightly at he hits his last note – _Focus, Lee Jihoon!_ – but he manages to end the song without making another mistake.

To Jihoon’s great dismay, the worst has yet to come. He didn’t think he would actually have to perform his last song _right in front of the person who inspired it to him_. He gulps, not daring to look in Mingyu’s general direction, but his teachers do not leave him any more time to deal with his internal crisis.

_🎶_ _I’m ready for you, my heart is ready too_

 _🎶_ _I don’t care about what everyone says_

 _🎶_ _Do you think I lied when I said I fell in love at first sight?_

If he could crawl into a hole and disappear on the spot, he would do so in a heartbeat. Jihoon tries to maintain his composure but his burning face seems to be sorely betraying him.

_🎶_ _If I show you something special, will you think of me every morning?_

Right there, right now, he promises himself to never, ever use lyrics he’s written by dumping his hopeless crush on paper for a school assignment again. He wouldn’t be able to suffer this humiliation twice.

_🎶_ _I love you_

 _🎶_ _Ah! Love me, baby_

 _🎶_ _I love you_

 _🎶_ _Those words express my blooming feelings_

 _🎶_ _Ah! Love is you…_

As usual, everything is Soonyoung’s fault. He hates his best friend. Well, he loves him about ninety eight percent of the year, but today he particularly hates him. Thank God the blond is the only one who will understand who _AH! LOVE_ is addressed to. Now, Jihoon just has to find a way to make sure Soonyoung won’t ever spill his secret.

Five pounds of chocolate should be enough to buy his silence.

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Thursday, December 24_ _th_

  
  
  


“Hyung, are you done with the potatoes?”

“Wait, what do we do with everything we’ve cut up so far?”

“MAKE WAY!”

Someone bumps into Jihoon as he completes his current batch of appetizers, causing him to spill a jar of dipping sauce.

“Oh my god, Soonyoung, be careful,” the brunet hisses.

Their tiny kitchen definitely gets too crowded when four people are fretting around, trying to prepare an elaborate dinner for thirteen people. Wonwoo and Seokmin try their best to stick to one corner, dicing up the vegetables, while Soonyoung periodically runs around to check if their precious ham is getting nicely cooked. 

Jihoon has been preparing starters as instructed – Jeonghan, who took care of grocery shopping the day before, dropped by to deliver the necessary ingredients at everyone’s place – but he doesn’t know where to put them to keep them out of danger until tonight. Being uncontrollably high-strung, Soonyoung has already knocked down a few plates.

He’s done for now, so Jihoon might as well retreat to his bedroom for a minute. It’s almost 7PM but he feels drained out by all that cooking frenzy. The sun has already set under the horizon, turning the sky from a warm orange into the deepest blue. Jihoon looks down on his attire and sighs. He should change into something nicer: he doesn’t want to find himself the only one dressed in sweats again.

He goes for a quick shower while he can – their guests should arrive soon – and pulls on a checkered grey suit over a black turtleneck. As he paces around in his room, absent-mindedly putting on his favorite watch, his eyes stop on the last letter he received from his Secret Santa.

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_D-Day has finally come! I can barely contain myself ^-^ It has been really hard to hide who I am until the end~_

_Good luck with your cooking duties today! I will see you later :)_

_With all my love and admiration,_

_– Your Secret Santa_

  
  
  
  


Jihoon grabs the small box that came with it. It contains a silver ring with roman numbers – he’s not sure he gets the meaning of “VI XII”, if there is any – which fits perfectly on his little finger. As he slips it on, someone rings the doorbell.

“Can you get it, Jihoon?” Soonyoung pleads as he wrestles with the Christmas tree to put a light string around it.

“Sure, coming!”

When Jihoon opens the door, he finds Mingyu, Minghao, and Jun carrying presents as well as a large box. Mingyu’s cheeks and nose have turned pink because of the cold, and Jihoon stares at the mole on the tip of his nose for a little too long.

“Don’t let Soonyoung hear that if you want some peace and quiet, but is that the cake?” he asks curiously as he eventually welcomes them in, pointing at the mysterious box.

“That’s right,” Mingyu nods giddily, looking extremely proud of his creation. “Where can I put it?”

“Uh. I’ll try to make room inside the fridge.”

  
  
  


Everyone slowly comes in one by one, bringing their share of food and drinks as well as new presents to put under the tree. Jihoon is most curious about Wonwoo’s. It is so big and weird-shaped that it takes up the most room. He prays to all known deities Wonwoo hasn’t bought something very stupid for Soonyoung, such as a life-sized tiger plush. He wouldn’t be able to forgive such a betrayal.

Thankfully, their apartment is big enough to fit everyone nicely around two low tables placed side-by-side. Jihoon feels strangely at peace, surrounded by everyone. A pleasant atmosphere reigns over the lighted up living room – courtesy of Soonyoung, who spent his afternoon decorating the place with colorful fairy lights. He smiles. Maybe this year Christmas will become a good memory. 

Soonyoung seems stressed by his host duties: the blond keeps running around between the kitchen and the living room, bringing in plates of appetizers and glasses for everyone.

“Calm down, Soon, everything’s fine,” Jihoon catches him by the shoulders to make him stop. “Go sit next to Wonwoo and enjoy yourself.”

Wonwoo shoots a worried eye when he hears his name, to which Jihoon replies with a pointed look. _Take care of this idiot for me,_ he tries to convey to Wonwoo, who now looks positively spooked.

  
  
  


As everybody chatters animatedly – the topic somehow shifted to the pros and cons of confessing through a serenade – Mingyu stops as he sniffs around.

“Doesn’t it smell like something’s burning?” he asks, raising an eyebrow in concern.

Soonyoung immediately jumps to his feet, bumping one of the tables with his knee and spilling a bottle of wine on Chan, and dashes to the kitchen in panic as he yells “MY HAM!!”. Jihoon gets up as well and runs closely behind, fearing the worst.

“JIHOON!! THE OVEN IS ON FIRE AGAINWHATDOWEDO––”

“Don’t open it!!”

Mingyu’s voice booms behind Jihoon’s back – his heart almost goes into cardiac arrest – before Soonyoung can do anything stupid like burn his hand on the handle.

“Do you have a fire extinguisher somewhere?” the sophomore asks coolly.

Soonyoung looks like he’s going to burst into tears at the whole ordeal. Before Jihoon can suggest looking for one in the hallway of their building, they hear a loud crash coming from the living room.

“Oh my god, you made it fall!!” Seungkwan shrieks loudly at someone.

When Jihoon turns back, he discovers the Christmas tree laying across the tables – shattered ornaments everywhere – while Chan looks at him like a deer caught in headlights, his clothes stained with wine. _Someone kill me right there, right now_ , Jihoon thinks at the chaos.

“Hyung, we have to do something,” Mingyu tells him pressingly. 

How could it all turn into a disaster so fast? Everything Soonyoung worked so hard for went up in ashes in a matter of seconds. Jihoon can hear the blond’s voice wavering as he apologizes over and over again.

“Okay. Okay.”

Soonyoung has always been there for him every time he needed it, and now it’s time he stepped up and took care of the mess for once.

“Joshua hyung,” he calls out to the senior, “can you please go get the fire extinguisher in the hallway outside just in case?”

Joshua nods and hurries outside, closely followed by Vernon. 

“Mingyu, you watch that fire and let me know if it spreads,” he tells the sophomore. “God, I can’t believe this is the second time we actually set our oven on fire…”

He grabs Soonyoung by the wrist and directs him to his bedroom so he can calm down, gesturing at Seokmin and Wonwoo to go with him. 

“Do you have a broom somewhere, Jihoon?” Jeonghan asks with a frown, pointing at the remains of their Christmas ornaments on the ground.

“Yeah, in that cupboard. Please be careful where you step, hyung!”

Jeonghan and Seungcheol move to get everything they need to clean up the mess, while everyone else steps away from the tables. Chan is still covered in wine, so Jihoon gestures at him to come to his bedroom.

“I’ll give you something to change into,” he tells him as he heads to his closet and picks one of his bigger pairs of sweatpants and a new shirt.

“Thanks, hyung. I’m sorry about the tree…”

“It’s okay, don’t worry,” the brunet assures as he pats the shoulder of the youngest before closing the door to give him some privacy.

When he’s back in the kitchen, Mingyu has turned off the oven to let the fire die on its own and he watches it closely in case it starts again. Well, their dinner is officially ruined now.

“What a disaster,” he sighs as he lets himself fall on a kitchen chair, burying his head in his hands.

“It’s okay, hyung,” the tallest tries to comfort him. “Not everything’s lost.”

“Yeah, at least the dessert survived, I guess. I don’t know what we’re going to eat, though, so I guess Christmas’s cancelled.”

“Hey, don’t say that, hyung!”

Mingyu comes closer and kneels down in front of him, grabbing Jihoon’s hand into his own. He’s feeling desperate, but somehow seeing Mingyu’s determined looks lifts some pressure off his shoulders.

“How about we go out and see what we can buy as a replacement? I’m sure there are still plenty of restaurants open right now. We can find a solution, hyung.”

Jihoon sighs, dropping his head low as Mingyu’s thumb rubs soothingly over the palm of his hand. He, too, wants to believe that everything will turn out alright.

“Yeah, you’re right. We’d better go right now, then.”

“Sure,” Mingyu grins brightly, as if they were at a nice get-together rather than in a kitchen that caught fire moments ago.

As Jihoon grabs his jacket and explains their plan to Jeonghan, asking him to keep an eye on the kids and keep everyone calm, Mingyu tells Joshua, Vernon, Minghao, and Jun to watch over the oven fire – “Use the extinguisher if you feel like the fire might spread out, but it shouldn’t happen. Once you’re one hundred percent sure it’s died down, you can open the oven and the windows to let the smoke out.”.

“Don’t worry, we’ll hold the fort here,” Jeonghan assures him before sending them off.

  
  
  


“This is really not how I pictured Christmas would happen,” Jihoon sighs once they’re settled in Mingyu’s car.

It’s snowing profusely outside, but the roads are still clear enough to drive around without too much difficulty.

“I really don’t know why,” Mingyu teases him. “Putting out fires sounded like so much fun!”

“Right,” Jihoon snorts, unable to repress a smile. “God, I can’t believe it’s happened again. We should have thrown that thing away after the first time, it’s cursed.”

“What happened the first time?”

“Soonyoung tried to bake a cake but he fell asleep.”

Jihoon sighs at the memory, thanking all known deities that their landlord never heard about it, while Mingyu howls in laughter, and the brunet cannot stay serious much longer.

One hour ago they were all drinking wine and having fun together, and now he’s off God knows where with Mingyu on an adventure in hope to save everyone’s Christmas. He laughs at the ridiculousness of it all, somehow feeling euphoric.

“Why are you laughing?” Mingyu raises a curious eyebrow at him, a light smile on his lips.

“I’m usually not huge on Christmas, but this one’s been particularly memorable so far.”

Mingyu smiles at him, patting his thigh before putting his hand back on the wheel. Jihoon buries his nose in his phone, looking for restaurants in the neighborhood that are still open and which could provide food for thirteen people despite the tardiness. Easier said than done.

“Maybe we can grab dishes from a few different places and make it a buffet?” Mingyu suggests.

“That might work,” Jihoon hums in agreement.

  
  
  


The two end up collecting a dozen various dishes along with the usual _banchans_. They even managed to find a small replacement ham after negotiating with the owner of a Western restaurant, which Jihoon is particularly happy about. Hopefully that can cheer Soonyoung up and make him forget the whole disaster.

When they get home, the tables have been stripped of their stained tablecloths and the Christmas tree is back up again – naked again, and firmly on the ground instead of a stool, this time.

“The food’s here, woah!!” Seungkwan cheers excitedly when he sees them step inside.

Mingyu and Jihoon set their multiple bags of food on the tables as everyone gathers round to take everything out. When Soonyoung comes into view, his eyes are red but he seems to have considerably calmed down.

“You’re a hero, Hoonie,” the blond mutters as he gives his best friend a back hug.

“Don’t worry about it, Soonie,” Jihoon pats him awkwardly on the arm. “Look what I found!”

When the brunet takes the ham out of its container, Soonyoung lets out a strained laugh but he seems positively happy.

“Merry Christmas, Hoonie!”

“Merry Christmas, idiot,” Jihoon replies with a fond smile.

Everyone digs in happily, thanking the two of them profusely for braving the snow to go get food. Jihoon could not feel happier.

  
  
  


“It’s time for presents!!!” Soonyoung yells excitedly once all the food has been gulped down, all plates have been licked clean, and the tables are out of the way.

Thankfully, the whole “Christmas tree suddenly falling down”-incident did not damage any of the gifts that had been placed under it. Everyone is gathered round in a circle, looking at one another with suspicion.

“Seungkwan should go first,” Jeonghan starts, gesturing at the three youngest members sitting right next to the tree.

“Alright, alright!”

Seungkwan grabs a rectangular box from under the tree, neatly wrapped in sparkling red paper, and hands it to Chan. The youngest takes it suspiciously like he half expects to blow up in his face.

“Thank you, hyung,” he mutters as he tears the wrapping paper, Seungkwan scoffing when he sees all his efforts ruined. “What––”

As Chan discovers a pair of colorful sneakers inside the box, a wide, bright smile grows on his face like he’s received the best thing in the world.

“Please burn your smelly old ones asap,” Seungkwan pouts, crossing his arms indignantly.

“They’re _not_ smelly, you’re just being annoying,” Chan scoffs. “Thank you, Seungkwan, they’re perfect.”

“That’s _hyung_ to you!”

“Oh, shut up.”

Chan grabs the other by the collar and lays a kiss on the corner of his mouth, making Seungkwan turn entirely red while the rest of them laugh at their antics.

“Well, I guess it’s my turn now.”

The youngest puts a soft, lumpy present in Vernon’s lap who raises a curious eyebrow at him.

“So that’s why you were asking me about my clothes the other day!”

“Oh, shut up, please spare my dignity and act like you weren’t expecting it,” Chan sulks. “You know I’m awful at surprises.”

Vernon sniggers as he rips the gift open, revealing a large white sweatshirt with “The Dancing Kid” written in bold black letters.

“Thanks, Channie, I love it,” Vernon smiles as he grabs the other’s hand.

“Of course,” he mutters, his cheeks slightly pink.

“You should try it on!” Minghao suggests from the other side of the table with a soft smile.

“I will, but first––”

Vernon pats his pockets and takes out an envelope with Seungkwan’s name scribbled on it. He hands it to the other, who looks at him in surprise.

“What’s this?”

When Seungkwan takes out three little pieces of paper and reads what’s written on it, he shrieks like he’s won the lottery.

“Oh my god, Vernon, you did not!! I–– I could kiss you right now!”

“Please do,” he replies with a smirk, and that’s all the convincing it takes for it to happen.

As the two exchange a long, passionate kiss, Chan watching them fondly, Jun grabs the fallen pieces of paper and reads aloud:

“It says “ _Sunmi – Special Concert – January 20xx_ ”…?”

Everyone around howls in laughter again. Of course it would be tickets for a former Wonder Girls member. Seungkwan doesn’t seem pleased to be mocked because he lets go of Vernon’s lips just to glare at everyone.

“All of you, shut up, including you” he adds as he grabs Chan to give him a proper kiss. “You can move on now!”

“Well, that worked out well,” Jihoon comments, surprised that those three pulled each other’s names.

As conversations erupt left and right, Jeonghan claps to get everyone’s attention.

“You can go next, Jihoon!” the senior nods at him.

The brunet raises a curious eyebrow. Why does it seem like Jeonghan wants them to give their presents in a particular order…? It’s just a feeling, but something seems very fishy. 

Regardless of any potential scheming that might be going on – Jeonghan does look the type – Jihoon grabs his own present and hands it to Jun who lights up instantly. 

“Wow!!” he beams as he unwraps the cat-themed ensemble Jihoon picked, holding it up to his chest. “Thanks Jihoon, you’re the best!!”

“Merry Christmas, Jun,” Jihoon smiles as they exchange a hug.

“Shame there’s no dramatic kissing this time,” Jeonghan teases, and Minghao glares at him from the side.

The gift exchange goes on with Jun handing Wonwoo a weirdly shaped present with a wonky ribbon tied around it. Despite the interesting attempt at packaging, Wonwoo almost vibrates with excitement when he discovers a new gaming mouse inside.

“I’ve been meaning to replace mine for ages and I wanted to get this one!! You’re perfect, Junnie!”

Jun gives him a side-hug and mutters something in Wonwoo’s ear that has him turn red in mere seconds – Jihoon is somehow certain Jun said something about confessing to Soonyoung. The brunet smirks; it’s high time those two got their act together.

It is now Wonwoo’s turn to go, and his hands slightly tremble when he grabs the largest package under the tree with much difficulty and pushes it towards Soonyoung on the other side of the circle. The blond looks positively shocked with the size of the package.

“What? Wonwoo, oh my god, what did you––”

If Seungkwan’s shriek had been high-pitched, Soonyoung’s is earth-shattering. He quickly gets rid of the wrapping paper and pulls a gigantic tiger plush out of it. Jihoon did not think he would one day witness someone be more excited than his five-year old cousin had been about getting a puppy, and yet.

“Oh, no…” Jihoon’s face scrunches up at the betrayal.

“I can’t believe it, Wonwoo, you’re the best!!” 

As the blond jumps in his arms, catching Wonwoo off-guard, Jihoon and Jun send him a pointed look. Wonwoo slightly shakes his head at them, and after carefully pulling something out of his pocket, he pats Soonyoung on the shoulder.

“There’s also this…”

Soonyoung carefully looks at what Wonwoo hands him, and his face lights up even more.

“Tickets to the zoo…? Wonwoo,” he stops suddenly with a grave look, “do they have tigers?”

When Wonwoo nods, Jihoon is slightly afraid Soonyoung will explode with excitement. But he seems to calm down, simply taking Wonwoo’s hand into his own and thanking him again.

“We’ll go together then!”

“Is that a date?” Jeonghan intervenes with a knowing smile.

“Yeah it is!” Soonyoung replies firmly, and Wonwoo chokes on air.

Maybe that whole Secret Santa thing wasn’t such a bad idea after all, Jihoon thinks to himself. So far, everything has turned quite interestingly. He’s also quite surprised with himself, as he has managed to guess who had pulled whose name so far.

Once the tiger frenzy has calmed down and everyone is back to normal, Soonyoung takes his gift from under the tree and hands it to Joshua. The senior takes it curiously and shakes it slightly, causing the box to make a ton of noise like there are tiny moving parts inside.

“Oh wow, you actually got me a bracelet-making kit?” the senior beams as he unwraps three large boxes containing colorful beads and other jewelry supplies.

“Yeah, you mentioned you wanted one, hyung,” Soonyoung perks up proudly.

“You know how to make me happy,” Joshua smiles and ruffles Soonyoung’s hair like he would with a cat. “Thank you, Kwon Fire! The first one I make will be for you then!”

Then it’s Joshua’s turn, handing a smaller gift to Seungcheol who unwraps a white beret with two cherries embroidered on top. Jihoon doesn’t get the whole cherry thing – he hopes Seungcheol doesn’t have an unhealthy obsession for them like Soonyoung does with tigers – but the hat is very cute on the senior. The two exchange a long hug, Joshua dropping a light kiss on the other’s cheek.

“You read my mind, Cheollie,” Jeonghan smirks when he unwraps the large Lego set Seungcheol gifted him. “It’s perfect, thank you. I’ll come to your dorm so we can assemble it together!”

Seungcheol nods happily while Joshua rolls his eyes to the ceiling, even though Jeonghan might as well be considered as their third roommate by now. Jeonghan lays a kiss on the oldest’s other cheek, who turns a little read, and shoots a victorious look at Joshua.

“Don’t be jealous, Shua,” he teases while the other scoffs.

Jeonghan gets up to get the tiniest present left under the tree and hands it to Seokmin, whose mouth rounds up into a perfect ‘o’. Inside, he finds earrings – one pair of golden hoops, and a few silver studs for his helix piercings. The sophomore looks moved to tears by the attention.

“Thank you, hyung, you shouldn’t have––”

“Of course I should have,” Jeonghan interrupts as he rubs the other’s shoulder softly. “There’s no one on this planet who’s as good as you, and as amazing as you, and you entirely deserve a nice present. Merry Christmas, Minnie.”

Once Seokmin has calmed down and grabs his present from under the tree, Jihoon fully expects the sophomore to hand it to him. So when he ignores Jihoon entirely and puts the gift in front of Minghao, Jihoon’s brain fries right on the spot.

“Oh wow, they’re so beautiful,” Minghao marvels at the four antique wine glasses that were carefully packaged in bubble wrap.

_Wait a second…_

The cups of the glasses are covered in intricate patterns which shine brightly under direct light, and the stems are painted with gold. So that’s what Seokmin bought at the antique shop the other day?

“For your wine-drinking evenings,” Seokmin beams, and Minghao gives him a hug in appreciation.

When Minghao hands his gift to Mingyu, Jihoon’s brain has yet to reboot. He had been _so sure_ he’d got it right that his mind now doesn’t dare to think about the implications of the new information he’s obtained.

“Merry Christmas, Gyu,” Minghao tells him before Mingyu pulls him into a tight hug.

The tall brunet carefully opens the wrapping paper, grimacing as he unintentionally rips some part of it, and his face lights up in wonder. He carefully pulls out a vintage camera, which he looks very excited to try out.

“Thank you, Hao, you’re the best!”

But before that, Mingyu looks in Jihoon’s direction, and the latter freezes in place. There is only one gift left in the Christmas tree. Things don’t seem to fall in place in Jihoon’s mind, even when Mingyu’s sitting beside him, handing him his gift. Everyone slowly quiets down around the circle, looking at them curiously.

“… That was you all along?” Jihoon mutters in disbelief, not daring to look him in the eye.

The gift feels like a book of some sort, carefully wrapped in a deep blue paper speckled with golden dots resembling stars. Jihoon’s heart is beating frantically in his chest, so much that it almost hurts. He cannot believe what is happening.

His fingers move slowly, delicately removing the wrapping paper. Inside, he discovers a visibly handmade book titled “Shining Woozi”. Putting his brain on autopilot, he opens it and sees pictures of his performances from last year, obviously taken from the audience seats. With each picture comes a handwritten comment – “You sang _도레미 Do Re Mi_ that day, and I kept replaying it for a week after that” “ _마음에 불을 지펴 Light A Flame_ blew my mind, I even dreamed about this performance…” “You looked the best in that outfit!!” – all characters traced in that same neat handwriting he now knows by heart. And then it hits him.

His Secret Santa has been Mingyu from the start.

Jihoon suddenly remembers he is supposed to thank Mingyu for his gift if he doesn’t want to unintentionally appear rude.

“Thank you, Mingyu…” he mutters, and the words almost die in his throat.

As he flips the pages – the pictures slowly covering all of his performances from the past two years – he finds a final letter stuck at the back of the book.

“Hum––” Mingyu coughs uncomfortably, “you can read that later.”

Jihoon finally lifts his eyes to Mingyu’s, and he feels himself burning up entirely. He doesn’t dare to move at all. There’s an unexplainable tangle of emotions fighting in his chest. Embarrassment, shyness, elation, love, he can’t make out any of it. He simply feels like his heart might explode.

Mingyu’s face looks very red too, as a small tentative smile grows on his lips.

“Wow, that’s so cool,” Seokmin raves on, sincerely impressed with Mingyu’s gift as he looks over Jihoon’s shoulder.

“Does that mean Mingyu hyung is officially Jihoon hyung’s first fansite ever?” Chan wonders aloud, and Mingyu hides his face in his hands in embarrassment.

“I wish I had such a dedicated fan too,” Seungkwan scoffs, side-eyeing Chan, who replies by sticking out his tongue.

“Well, I think we’ve found our winner here,” Jeonghan comments a smirk, his arms crossed on his chest as he observes the two of them.

When Jihoon breathes out, he feels light-headed. After this entire emotional roller-coaster, exacerbated by the twelve pairs of eyes that had been watching him closely, he is drained out. He quietly excuses himself and heads to his bedroom for some well-needed peace and quiet. 

On his desk, he opens the box in which he has been storing all of his Secret Santa’s letters and carefully puts the last, unopened one on top of the pile. He’ll get to it later. Jihoon then changes into sweats and lies down on his bed, his head buzzing with one thousand thoughts a second.

  
  
  


A while later, there’s a soft knock on his door. He hasn’t been able to sleep, but his head feels calmer now.

“Come in,” he replies loudly enough to be heard over Seungkwan’s astonishingly loud music playing in the living room – which sounds like a comprehensive compilation of girlgroup hit songs since the early 2000.

Mingyu’s sheepish face appears into the doorframe, and Jihoon stiffens slightly. The sophomore steps in slowly, as if he was scared the oldest might chase him away. Then, as Jihoon patiently waits for him to come in, he closes the door behind him.

“Are you okay, hyung?” he asks tentatively, standing awkwardly at a distance.

Jihoon pats the space next to him, and Mingyu shyly comes to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Yeah, sorry. I just… I needed a little time to myself, that’s all.”

“I’m sorry if I made everything awkward for you…”

“It’s okay, you didn’t.”

The oldest turns his head to the side to look at the book he left open on his bedside table. He’s had the time to look through it from front to back. Each picture had him reminiscing about particular times of his path as a singer and a composer, both good and bad. He still cannot believe somebody took the time to photograph and document it all.

“I loved it, you know. It brought me back so many memories,” Jihoon explains, shifting his eyes to shyly meet Mingyu’s. “That’s probably the best present someone has ever given me.”

That might be the most meaningful gift he will ever get in his entire life. Mingyu, who he barely met a month ago, just did that.

“I still don’t understand why you went out of your way that much for somebody like me, delivering daily letters and presents,” he continues. “Who spends so much time and effort making gifts for someone they didn’t know at first, aside from literal angels?”

In the dim light of his bedside lamp, Mingyu’s cheeks turn slightly pink at the praise. 

“Well, you have the voice of a literal angel,” the youngest explains, looking at Jihoon with a smile, “so I thought you deserved no less.”

Jihoon exhales slowly, staring in disbelief at the sophomore. Mingyu shifts a little, then reaches out to grab Jihoon’s right hand.

“Did you figure out the VI XII on the ring?” he asks, absent-mindedly turning the band around Jihoon’s finger.

The oldest shakes his head. He can’t say he has. It’s not like he’s had much time to think about it, after the crazy day they’ve been through.

“I attended your performances for the first time last year on June 12th,” Mingyu explains, rubbing his thumb over Jihoon’s fingers in an affectionate manner. “You were playing _Falling for U_ , that day. It’s funny, because it’s also the day I fell for you.”

Jihoon purses his lips in surprise as blood rushes to his face, and Mingyu looks away, embarrassed. He cannot be serious.

“I haven’t missed a single one of your performances since that day, even if you never noticed me. That’s how I had all those pictures to make the book,” he explains, pointing at his present. “You were the one who made me love photographing people on stage. Though no one compares to you.”

Mingyu’s eyes glisten with sincerity, and Jihoon wants to believe him. But he simply cannot comprehend it.

“Are you making fun of me…?” is Jihoon’s first reaction, to which Mingyu replies with a frown.

“Of course not! Maybe I’m a fool for holding onto those feelings for so long, but it’s nothing but the truth.”

Mingyu looks away, slightly insulted, and Jihoon bites his lower lip in regret. He sits up and places his other hand on Mingyu’s thigh. The latter’s head comes back up with a questioning look.

“You have to realize, I don’t understand what you could possibly see in me when you’re… you,” Jihoon gestures at him, and Mingyu raises his eyebrows in incomprehension. “Amazing, smart, funny, impossibly good-looking. Perfect,” Jihoon completes.

The youngest purses his lips to repress a smile, but he looks deeply happy. Jihoon’s expression softens. Mingyu is impossibly cuter that he would have initially thought, the first time he laid his eyes on him.

“In that case, you have to realize you also are all those things to me, hyung,” Mingyu replies, placing his hand behind Jihoon’s ear to caress his hair. “You have been for a long time.”

Jihoon gulps as their faces come closer together, so close he can feel Mingyu slowly breathing. He cannot look away from the other’s eyes, enthralled by his determined gaze.

“Can I kiss you, hyung?” he asks so softly Jihoon barely hears it, as if he were afraid of the answer.

Jihoon exhales as he crashes his lips against Mingyu’s, placing his arms around the other’s neck like he never wants to let go. He quickly finds himself straddling Mingyu as they kiss ravenously, making up for all the time they lost. Something hot burns deep inside his body, keeping him hungry for more.

When they finally let go of the other’s lips, both out-of-breath and disheveled, Mingyu starts giggling, tilting his head back.

“Why are you laughing?” Jihoon asks, caressing the youngest’s cheek softly.

“It feels like a dream come true,” he mutters, pulling Jihoon into another kiss.

“What are you saying,” the oldest teases him lightly between two breaths. “God, you have no idea how much I like you.”

“You can tell me all about it, then,” Mingyu concludes as he starts kissing Jihoon’s neck.

  
  
  


He wants to stay here forever, cuddling with – his now boyfriend – Mingyu until the sun rises. His lips are red from the youngest’s never-ending attacks, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“Maybe we should join the others,” Jihoon hums, his head against Mingyu’s firm chest.

“Are you sure? They’re bound to ask questions about… us.”

“I can deal with that,” he replies with a large smile, laying a last kiss on the other’s lips before he gets up.

  
  
  


When they step outside into the living room, things are as lively as ever. Seokmin, Joshua, and Seungkwan are busy having a karaoke contest – where do those mics even come from? – while everyone else is playing poker on the coffee table. On the couch, Jihoon notices Wonwoo and Soonyoung cuddling as they watch the game happening.

“Nice of you to join us!” Chan teases, and his grin widens as he sees their linked hands.

“You’re going to lose if you keep that attitude, Channie,” Jeonghan comments as he looks over his cards. “Call.”

Chan scrunches his face in frustration, suspiciously looking at Jeonghan’s mysterious smile, and he folds, letting out a sigh.

“You always win at poker, hyung, it’s unfair. How do you even do that?”

“You’re just very bad at it,” Seungkwan interjects as the song ends on one of Seokmin’s wonderful notes.

“Shut up.”

Jeonghan pats Chan’s thigh, but the youngest seems intent on sulking for the rest of the night.

“It seems like things turned out for the best for everyone,” Jihoon tells Soonyoung as he approaches him.

“Looks like it,” his best friend replies, planting a kiss on top of Wonwoo’s hand. “So, how was Christmas this year?” 

Jihoon turns his head towards Mingyu, who looks back with so much tenderness Jihoon could drown in it.

“Pretty good, actually,” he nods with a bright smile.

“Good,” Soonyoung beams, “because it’s not over yet!”

  
  
  
  
  
  


✨🕛🕙🕗🕕🕓🕑🕛✨

  
  
  


_Friday, November 27_ _th_

  
  
  


“Hyung, how do you get someone to like Christmas?” Soonyoung whines as he rolls on Jeonghan’s couch.

“You get them someone to smooch, of course,” Jeonghan assures, not bothering to raise his head from his book.

Soonyoung scrunches up his nose, not feeling particularly happy about that option.

“What if I know someone who’d die to smooch him, but he doesn’t know that person because he never comes to the parties I invite him to and stays holed up all the time?”

“Then you find another way to get them to interact, so they can get to know each other.”

Soonyoung hums, deep in thought. That seems quite complicated to implement. He basks in the morning sunlight like a cat would, stretching his entire body. Jeonghan’s lucky to live in A226, his dorm gets a lot of natural light.

“I don’t get why you spend ninety nine percent of your time next door, hyung,” the blond wonders aloud. “Your dorm is so nice, and you get to be by yourself! In A227, they never get that much sunlight.”

“I get lonely without Cheollie and Shua,” the senior pouts, placing his bookmark back in his book before setting it aside.

Jeonghan sits back up, looking intently at Soonyoung who raises a curious eyebrow at him. Something has obviously piqued his curiosity.

“Is it Jihoon you want to enjoy a nice Christmas for once?” he asks straight-forwardly.

“Well… yes. You see, he always gets sad whenever December comes around. I hate seeing him like that, and I didn’t really do a good job the previous years,” Soonyoung pouts, watching the ceiling as he remembers the past Christmases he spent with his douchebag of an ex, when he really should have stayed alongside his best friend instead.

“Thought so. Well, you came to me at the right time, because I have the perfect plan to get him and Mingyu together.”

“How did you know about Mingyu?” the blond raises his head curiously. “I never said his name.”

“He’s less discreet than he thinks,” Jeonghan smirks. “Come here.”

The senior grabs a piece of paper and starts explaining his plan to Soonyoung, who listens closely to every detail. Once they have everything nicely defined, the blond stops, uncertain. Jeonghan starts fiddling with a deck of cards he’d left nearby.

“Are you sure this could work? How do you get them to draw the pieces of paper you want them to?”

“Don’t worry about that, Soonie, I’ve got it. With a couple tricks and a little magic”, he says as he skillfully makes cards disappear into his sleeves, “we can get our plan rolling.”

“You’re amazing, hyung,” Soonyoung grins. “By the way, are you sure Wonwoo should be giving his present to me? I think he’s closer to Jun. Maybe we should change up the order?”

“Yes, don’t worry, Soonie, it’s absolutely perfect like that.”

“Alright, then!”

“Shall we bet on the number of confessions that will happen at that Christmas dinner?” Jeonghan suggests with a sly smile.

“Well, one, right? There’d better be one, after all the efforts we’re making to get them together!”

“We could always give Mingyu a little nudge, suggest a thing or two…,” Jeonghan thinks aloud, loudly shuffling his cards. “If he did something nice for Jihoon every day… You see what I mean? Surely you could slip in a word or two?”

“I can do that,” Soonyoung puffs his chest importantly, and Jeonghan smiles at his earnestness. “So, hyung? How many confessions are you betting on, then?”

“I’ll go with two,” he decides, taking the 2 of hearts out of his deck.

“Get ready to lose, then,” the blond grins brightly. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll set up everything in an hour or two, promise! See you later, hyung!”

  
  
  


Once Soonyoung has left his apartment, Jeonghan looks over their plan one last time. He absent-mindedly doodles little hearts next to certain arrows, and his lips spread into a pensive smile. This should be a lot of fun.

  
  
  
  
  
  


✨🕛🕑🕓🕕🕗🕙🕛✨

  
  
  


_Friday, December 25_ _th_

  
  
  


“You tricked me, hyung!!”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jeonghan replies innocently on the other end of the line.

“You knew about Wonwoo! That’s not fair!” Soonyoung huffs at the phone.

“And _you_ tricked me, so I say you deserved that one,” Jihoon scoffs from the right side of the couch.

“Hey! Aren’t you happy I got you a boyfriend?”

“He got me on his own, thank you very much,” Jihoon refutes as he places his head back where it belongs – in the crook of Mingyu’s neck. “And I could say the same to you!”

“You’re so annoying, Hoonie,” Soonyoung pouts, as Wonwoo strokes his hair softly in hopes of distracting him.

“Well, so are you! Can we keep watching the movie now that you’re done freaking out about a stupid bet?”

Mingyu and Wonwoo remain silent, exchanging a quick look – _“Should we do something?” “No, I don’t think we should if we value our lives.”_ – as the two best friends keep fighting like an old married couple.

“A promise is a promise, Soonie!” Jeonghan intervenes. “And one should always honor their promises, so I’ll swing by tomorrow. Later!”

The senior hangs up before the blond can protest any more, and the latter whines loudly.

“Did you really think you could beat Lord Jeonghan the Trickster at his own game? I don’t know what got into you,” Jihoon sighs deeply. “Betting your entire stock of chocolate, seriously… Who knew Jeonghan hyung had such a sweet tooth?”

“SHHH!! Can’t you see I’m heart-broken!?”

  
  
  


❄ 🎁 🎄 🎅 🎄 🎁 ❄

  
  
  


_Dear Jihoon,_

_The time has finally come to reveal myself! As you read this letter, surely you know who I am by now._

_I hope you have enjoyed those twenty-four days with me, and that I could brighten up your days a little… Truth be told, Soonyoung has told me December was a difficult month for you, so I felt like I should do something._

_Hopefully I have achieved that goal. That is the one thing I wish for._

_We met barely a month ago (at least in person), but I’ve had a great time with you this December and I hope we can keep seeing each other from now on. I would like that a lot._

_In the end, all I wanted to convey was that I love you._

_I am definitely not as skilled as you are with words, so I will conclude my senseless ramblings here._

_Merry Christmas, Jihoon :)_

_With all my love,_

_– Mingyu_

  
  
  
  
  
  


✨🎄🌟 THE END 🌟🎄✨

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading the very first fanfic I've published on AO3 😳 English is not my mother tongue and this was not proofread, but I hope you enjoyed my story!! 🥳 Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me your thoughts about it 💕
> 
> (Please note that every time I quoted song lyrics I took a few liberties with the translations to make them sound nicer in English, but the core meaning is the same!)
> 
> Find me on Twitter and Instagram at @cirelli_art if you want to chat or see my occasional drawings! 💖
> 
> **  
> Random fun facts:  
> **  
> 
> 
>   * A227 (Cheol and Shua's dorm number) originates from my friend's initial + her birthday (02/27)
>   * _"Hannie (or did he say Honey)":_ I have to credit Hani from EXID, who covered JYP's "Honey" in King of Masked Singer. That play on words was the cleverest thing ever.
>   * _"not even when the blond almost burned down their dorm by setting their oven on fire in the middle of the night":_ I have to admit that this... was inspired by real life. Don't bake cakes in your dorms at 3AM when you're feeling sleepy, guys.
>   * _"(18:39) Vernon: 👋 👋":_ I can't stop thinking about that 2020 Caratland segment where they show Seventeen's text messages and Vernon answered a yes/no question with 👋. How could he possibly think this was a clear answer?? (For those who don't know, he meant "no" lmao)
>   * Mingyu's clothes on the day they go buy the Christmas tree are basically his outfit in that beautiful Harper's Bazaar outdoor shoot for the January 2021 issue 🥰️
>   * _“It’s so cold outside.”/“It’s winter, of course it’s going to be cold.”:_ Jeonghan was the one who replied this to Mingyu on Weverse. Bless those boys for all the inspiration they give me LMAO
>   * _"(10:27) Chan: I feel like I became a zombie~ 🎶":_ DAY6 - Zombie (please give it a listen if you haven't, it's wonderful 🥰️)
>   * _"(10:29) Seungkwan: And you look like you should go back to your room":_ Seungkwan actually said that to Chan on camera in a VLive LMAO
>   * _“And I deserve the biggest Lego set in existence for running everything smoothly":_ Of course this is in reference to Jeonghan's current (as of December 2020) obsession for building Lego cars~
>   * _"“The food’s here, woah!!” Seungkwan cheers excitedly when he sees them step inside.":_ I totally pictured that SVTinside Out GoSe episode when Seungkwan gets in his "happy" mood!
>   * _"Vernon sniggers as he rips the gift open, revealing a large white sweatshirt with “The Dancing Kid” written in bold black letters.":_ Mingyu was the one who snapped a pic of Vernon in this, earlier this month! He posted it on Weverse :)
>   * _“Oh wow, you actually got me a bracelet-making kit?”:_ OF COURSE I had to mention that little hobby of Joshua's! It's also the last of the thirteen presents I came up with 😪 I had no ideas until inspiration hit me like a truck out of nowhere lmao
> 



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